RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Robert L. Martin served his country with distinction as a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II; and
WHEREAS, Robert L. Martin was born in Dubuque Iowa and learned to fly in a civilian pilot training program when he was enrolled as a student at Iowa State University; and
WHEREAS, In 1944 at age 23 Robert L. Martin joined the Army Air Corps at Tuskegee, Alabama; and
WHEREAS, On March 3 1945 he was shot down by ground fire following his attack mission on an enemy airfield in Zagreb Yugoslavia and forced to bail out over enemy territory; and
WHEREAS, Wounded, Robert L. Martin found refuge in a Yugoslav farm house owned by an allied sympathizer — and escaped capture by Nazi forces. The next day, he was taken to the headquarters Marshal Josip Tito's Partisans where he remained for 5 weeks until he could safely return to his tinit in Italy; and
WHEREAS, For his combat service Lt. Robert L. Martin received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters and a Purple Heart; and
WHEREAS, After leaving the service, Robert L. Martin's job search took him to Chicago. Although, he was a fully qualified electrical engineer, there was little opportunity in the field that was open to African Americans at that time, and so he took a variety of jobs instead, driving taxi's and working in factories; and
WHEREAS, Eventually, Chicago Park district hired Robert L. Martin as a draftsman, and he subsequently joined the City of Chicago as an engineer where he worked for 37 years; and
WHEREAS, Robert L. Martin will be honored at a special celebration on the eve of Veteran's Day at Wintrust's Grand Banking Hall, 231 South La Salle Street, Chicago, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Robert L. Martin is truly an example of what journalist Tom Brokaw called "Our Greatest Generation;" and
WHEREAS, Robert L. Martin is exceedingly worthy of our highest admiration and esteem; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this ninth day of November, 2016 do hereby express our sincere appreciation to Robert L. Martin for his military service; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Robert L. Martin.
AMerma.n - 14th Ward