James R. Martin
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. My military adventure began in 1953 with the California Army National Guard, an Artillery unit. I went on active duty in 1956 With the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. The 82nd MP Compony was short on personal so that is where I landed. While there I completed Jump School, the 82nd ran their own Jump School at the time, and RangerSchool. I then was able to transfer to the 77th Special Forces Gp, at Bragg, as a Light Weapons specialist.After a short break in service, I reenlisted at Fort Benning , GA, assigned to the Ranger Department. I spent my time with theRanger School as an Instructor in Mountain Ranger training camp at Dahloniga, GA. After my stent in the mountains, and back at Benning l joined the 187th Pathfinder Team. It was the only active Pathfinder unit the Army at that time. After some time at Fort Benning, i joined the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky, with an Infantry Recon Platoon. Early in 1966 I volunteered to go to Vietnam. I reported too the 1st Air Cav Division in May and joined the Cav’s 11th Pathfinder Company (Provisional) as an Airborne Infantry Pathfinder. It was a very eventful couple years. My tour was up in June 1968. Back too Special Forces. When I was with the 77th SF Gp the team I was on was in the field most of the time training. I never heard of an SF Qualification Course. In 1968 I found out that there is, was, a course. I then completed the Special Forces Qualification Course, and Operations and Intelligence Course, at Fort Bragg. Uponcompletion I received orders too the 10th SF Gp at Fort Devens MA. There I joined a team as the O & I NCO. My next trip too Vietnamwas in 1969. I requested assignment to the 5th SF Gp, MACSOG CCN. At CCN I joined the A Company (Hatchet Force) Chinese NungPlatoon. After being with the platoon for some time I was asked to fly COVEY. I flew for a year and and left Vietnam in April 1971. Again, too the Ranger Department at Fort Benning as an Instructor at the Florida training area on Elgin AFB. Then too Thailand with USASFT where I had a teem referred as the RangerTeam. The team’s mission was advisor too the Royal Thai Special Warfare Ranger School. The team was always short of the normal 12men because all team members had to be Ranger qualified. From Thailand too the 7thSFG at Ft Bragg, and a HALO Team. I was HALOand HALO Jumpmaster Qualified and then, began to enjoy jumping. On too the 10th SFG at Ft Devens where I almost learned too ski andgot very very cold at Camp Drum (40 below). My last assignment in the Army was an ROTC instructor at SanJose State University in California. I started my Army adventure in California an ended it as in California in 1981 as a MSgt. It was a good adventure.