PFC Francis Patrick Martin
Our grandfather, Francis Patrick Martin, was born on May 7, 1919 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He married our grandmother (Mary Lois McNichols) on August 22, 1942. Francis and his brother joined the Army on the one year anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and five months before his daughter Mary was born.
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Francis Martin and Mary Lois Martin
Wedding Day photo of our grandparents. They were married on August 22, 1942 at St Patrick’s Church in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
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Francis Martin in the Army
Francis and his brother Joe both joined the army the same day- December 7, 1942, the one year anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
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Mary Martin (Junior)
A photo of our mom, who was born on June 5, 1943 and never met her father.
Francis was killed in action on January 16, 1945. He was part of Company D, 1st Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. His unit was fighting in the Alsace in France, and had penetrated German lines near Reipertswiller, France. The German Army was fighting as part of Operation Nordwind, the last major German offensive of World War II on the Western Front, which attacked the Maginot Line defenses in areas south of where The Battle of the Bulge took place. Francis was part of a supply convoy that was ambushed by the Germans in the forest northeast of the village. The Germans captured the area and Francis’ body was not able to be recovered. Francis was declared Missing in Action, and on January 17, 1946, the War Department issued a finding of death.
Graves Registration Map from Page 9 of the DPAA Report (CIL 2021-252-I-01). Reipertswiller, France is circled in red. Francis’ location is identified as X-6373.
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From 1947 to 1950, the AGRC (American Graves Registration Command) searched the forests of Reipertsville and tracked all unidentifiable names with an X and a number. There were 37 unidentifiable remains found in the area, and X-6373 (later identified as PFC Francis P, Martin) was examined and then interred as an unknown soldier at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Plombières, Belgium. Additionally, Francis’ name was added to The Walls of Missing at Epinal American Cemetery in Dinoz, France.
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Plombières, Belgium. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
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Prior to her passing in 2015, our mother was contacted by the US Army requesting a DNA sample for testing with the hope of identifying our grandfather, and Francis’ nephew Joe Martin was also contacted to provide a DNA sample. Seven years later, the DPAA (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency) contacted us with the news that X-6373 was identified as PFC Francis P. Martin. The DPAA provided us with a detailed report, our grandfather’s medals earned in the war and, per our mother’s wishes, they helped us schedule a burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
PFC Francis P. Martin’s medals, including (on the upper left) the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
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A week before the scheduled funeral at Arlington, we were present for the dignified transfer at Washington National Airport. Our grandfather traveled a lot since he fell in Reipertwiller, France. In 1950 he was first moved to Neuville, Belgium where his remains were examined, and then he was interred as an unknown soldier at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Plombières, Belgium. Seventy one years later, he was flown back to the US to a DPAA lab in Omaha, Nebraska. For his final flight from Nebraska to Arlington, the US Army asked if we would agree to have him flown commercially, He was accompanied on a Southwest flight by an Army escort, we were invited to be present on the tarmac for the transfer, and all of the passengers were held on the plane until the Honor Guard transferred him to a waiting hearse.
The night before the funeral, we were invited to visit the Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home in Arlington, Virginia. All of the arrangements (including the professional photos and video on the next few pages) were covered by the US Army, and everyonr throughout the process could not have been more helpful or accommodating. At the funeral home, the casket was open, and inside a full army uniform was visible. Beneath the uniform was a smaller pouch with our grandfather’s remains, and attached to the coffin were a copy of his dog tags.
PFC Francis P. Martin’s US Army jacket
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Coming up on the next page: