[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 16, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1422]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING MR. LUKE P. MARTIN, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. G. K. BUTTERFIELD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2014

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Mr. Luke P. 
Martin, Jr. who will be honored on Thursday, September 18, 2014 in New 
Bern, North Carolina for his rich and unique family history and his 
commitment to his community by having the day forever named in his 
honor.
  Luke P. Martin, Jr. is 97 years old and the surviving son of an 
escaped slave who became one of the first men to enlist in the Union 
Army's First North Carolina Colored Volunteers during the Civil War. 
Mr. Martin's father, Private Luke Martin, Sr. escaped slavery in 1863 
near Plymouth, North Carolina and found his way to New Bern where he 
joined what became the 35th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops.
  A statue of Private Martin, Sr. is currently displayed in the North 
Carolina Museum of History as an enduring reminder of the approximately 
200,000 African Americans who fought during the Civil War. Private 
Martin's 1861 Springfield rifle and a Confederate Calvary sword 
acquired by Private Martin when he courageously fought and was wounded 
in the 1864 Battle of Olustee can also be found there. After fighting 
in the war, Private Martin settled in New Bern where he became the 
third pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church and was regarded as 
a well-respected civic leader. Private Martin died in 1917, the same 
year his son, Luke, Jr., was born.
  Luke P. Martin, Jr. was born on July 11, 1917, making him one of 
Craven County's oldest living residents. He continues to live in the 
home built by his father in the 1890s. Mr. Martin was the lead Master 
Mason in the restoration of the historic Tryon Palace in the early 
1950s, and supervised the construction and brickwork on more than fifty 
major buildings throughout the southeast. He taught vocational classes 
for over 20 years at Pamlico County High School putting his 
considerable talents into teaching others.
  At 97 years old, Mr. Martin still works as a funeral assistant for 
Oscar's Mortuary, as he has since the business opened its doors in 
1954. He and his late wife, Inez, reared seven children including their 
son Frederick, who was killed while serving our country in Vietnam on 
February 28, 1968. He is a lifelong member of St. John Missionary 
Baptist Church, where he holds the distinction of being the 
congregation's oldest and longest-serving trustee, having served in 
that capacity for more than sixty years.
  Mr. Speaker, Luke Martin has spent his life as an active and engaging 
member of his community. He has built upon the courageous sacrifices 
his father made so long ago, and I am happy to participate in the 
celebration of Luke P. Martin, Jr. Day.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Luke P. 
Martin, Jr. and the Martin family for their contributions to the city 
of New Bern and our Union.

                          ____________________