George H. Martin

6403636 Coxswain 

United States Navy

  1942-1945

       George Hubert "Porgy" Martin was born 29 October 1921, in Wynne, Arkansas, the son of George Rex and Mary Inez Copeland Martin.  He grew up with two brothers, Bill and Rex and one sister, Amber Jane.  He graduated from Wynne High School in 1939.  Before his military service, he worked for Douglas Aircraft in California; Stearman Aircraft, Wichita, Kansas and Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, Nashville, Tennessee.
    George entered the Navy on May 26, 1942.   He received his boot training at the Great Lakes (Illinois) Naval Training Station and was assigned to duty on a landing craft of the Amphibious Forces.  Overseas a total of 30 months, he participated in the North African and Sicilian invasions, and in the South Pacific operations of the Marshall Islands, Guam, Peleliu, Leyte, Luzon, and Iwo Jirna.  Holder of a personal citation from Admiral Spruance (Commander Fifth Fleet, 2 Assault Landings), the Navy Good Conduct Medal, the European- African- Middle Eastern and Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbons, with Battle Stars denoting his engagements.  George was discharged December 2, 1945, at Millington, Tennessee.
    George married Joanne Peradzock and they had four children: Linda, Tom, Mary Jane and Annette. He returned to Consolidated Vultee Corporation in Nashville, Tennessee.  In 1956, he became part owner of Park Electric, a motor repair shop, in Nashville.  In 1961, he and his family moved to Corinth, Mississippi where he formed and ran the Electric Motor Repair Company until his retirement.  His wife, Joanne, died in 1969.   George retired in 1986 and moved to Lake Mohawk, near Booneville, Mississippi.  He enjoyed gardening, fishing and entertaining his friends and family.  When his health began to fail, he moved to a retirement village in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to be close to his son.
    George Hubert Martin died 9 March 2001 and was buried in Henry Cemetery, Corinth, Mississippi.