Lieutenant Martin was the pilot of a F4U-4 Corsair fighter with Fighter Squadron 871 aboard the carrier USS Princeton (CV-37). On 18 July 1951, during a napalm run against enemy forces ten miles northeast of Kumhwa, Korea, his aircraft failed to pull-up in time, crashed below the crest of a ridge and burned. He was listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead on 21 May 1954. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Lieutenant Martin was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.