Local man recounts military memories

By Larry Meyer - Argus Observer
Monday, July 30, 2007 10:29 AM PDT

Martin Luther, 86, Ontario, shows pictures of B-24 Liberators in action during World War II. A well- decorated military pilot, Luther participated in the Berlin Airlift and flew supply and humanitarian missions in Korea.

ONTARIO - A local man decorated by prestigious military awards, including the Purple Heart, truly understands the meaning of humanitarian efforts.

That man, Martin Luther, 86, had a military flying career that spanned the stage of two conflicts and included one of the greatest humanitarian events in history, the Berlin Airlift.

Luther has lived in Ontario four years, since he moved to the area with his wife, Shirley, to be near family, he said.

They moved from Bishop, Calif., where they owned and operated a car dealership for 39 years.

“It’s mule capital of the world,” he said, while chuckling about Bishop.

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Luther, however, is not originally from Bishop or even California. He was born and raised in Tennessee. He moved to California in 1938, he said, after graduating from high school and working for a chemical company in Trona, Calif.

In those days his salary was minimal and gasoline was less than a dime per gallon, Luther said.

Luther met his wife, Shirley, in Trona, where they had three of their four children, he said.

After joining the Army in 1942, Luther became a pilot and trained to command B-24 Liberators.

Luther became a member of the 456th Bomb Group, he said, which was activated at Gowen Field in Boise, July 14, 1943. After flying out of Topeka, Kan., and picking up a his Liberator in Wichita, Kan., Luther flew to Italy along the South American Atlantic Coast, to Brazil, and then across to Africa, following the equatorial latitudes. He landed in Dakar, and then finally arrived in southern Italy, he said.

In Italy, Luther and his crew became part of the 15th Air Force, he said.

The 456th Bomb Group flew 249 total combat missions in 11 countries, over targets including Italy, France, Austria, Germany, Russia, Hungary, Romania and the Balkans, Luther said.

“I flew 50 of those missions,” he said.

And, some of those missions were dangerous.

In one mission, Luther said, seven out of nine planes were shot down.

Luther came back to the United States in March 1945 and became a B-24 instructor. He was later assigned to the Air Transport Command, where he flew a C-54, which is the military version of the DC-4.

“It was a four-engine plane,” he said.

His route generally took him the North Atlantic.

“We were flying replacement troops and supplies for the occupation,” he said.

They also flew troops back to the U.S, “That was an interesting assignment,” he said.

Before he finished flying for the Air Transport Command, Luther was involved in the Berlin Airlift, a humanitarian effort, which saved many residents of that city from starvation during the Soviet blockade, which began in June 1948 and ended in May of 1949, Luther said.

“It was a great operation,” Luther said. “It operated 24 hours, 7 days a week in all kinds of weather.”

During the humanitarian mission, there were three corridors, two inbound and one outbound, he said.

“We did this for 16 weeks. I have to give President Truman credit for staying the course,” he said.

After coming back to the U.S., Luther said he flew for a small airline out of Washington National Airport, which is now called Reagan National Airport. It had nine DC-3s.

“I flew all over the Eastern Seaboard,” Luther said.

His days of flying military aircraft, however, were not done.

Luther flew again for the military during the Korean conflict, where he transported food and medical supplies to the region, he said.

“We did a lot of humanitarian operations there, too,” he said.

That included helping to rescue Korean children, many of who were emaciated from lack of food.

Luther never forgot that experience.

“This is very vivid in my memory,” he said.

Once he returned to the United States, Luther went to work on missile programs.

He was first employed by Douglas Aircraft and then went to work for the Martin Aircraft Company. Finally, before settling in Bishop to run his car dealership, Luther worked for a special division of Ford Motor Company, where he specialized in defense weapons and aerospace technology, he said.

Luther never seems to tire of telling his military stories and tales of humanitarian aid.

One way he can share his experiences is through his involvement in veterans organizations and participation in history programs at the Warhawk Museum in Nampa, where he speaks with area school students.

As president of the 456th Bomb Group, 744th Bomb Squadron, Luther recently hosted a reunion of the bomb group in Boise, where 75 members attended.

His military career was noble and highly decorated. For example, Luther received the Purple Heart, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and a number of campaign ribbons, he said.