[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 12 (Monday, January 26, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                    REMEMBERING DALTON VERNON MARTIN

 Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I wish to honor the memory and 
service of Dalton Vernon Martin, chief petty officer, U.S. Navy, 
Retired, and sherriff's deputy, East Baton Rouge Sherriff's Department, 
who passed away 4 years ago, on January 23, 2011. Mr. Martin devoted 
his life and career to the service of others which was evident in his 
combined 61 years of military and civil service to our great Nation and 
the Baton Rouge community.
  Born in St. Francisville, LA, Mr. Martin first excelled as a high 
school boxer, compiling a record of 63 victories in 65 bouts. He 
dedicated that resolve and fighting spirit towards serving and 
defending his country, enlisting in the U.S. Navy to fight in World War 
II and the Korean war, including the Pacific battles of the Gilbert and 
Marshall Islands, Tarawa, and Okinawa. Mr. Martin served onboard the 
USS Charleston, USS Taswell, and the USS Indianapolis.
  After a distinguished 38-year career in the Armed Forces, Mr. Martin 
retired from active duty and embarked on a new mission of service as a 
deputy of the East Baton Rouge Sherriff's Office. Here, Mr. Martin 
spent 23 years protecting his fellow citizens and upholding the rule of 
law.
  Mr. Martin lived a life of service, but he never sought to label 
himself as the hero he truly was. He spoke honestly and openly about 
the fear and sadness that are inseparable from the glory and honor of 
serving in combat. He was grateful for the opportunities afforded by 
his service to visit the farthest reaches of the world, but he served 
for no other reason than to defend his country and one day return home 
to his beloved Louisiana.
  If the measure of a person is by what they leave behind, then Mr. 
Martin sets a standard to which we should all aspire. His life's story 
is yet another testament to the strength and legacy of the ``greatest 
generation.'' And for his wife Christy, his children Paul, John, and 
Susan, and his grandchildren Erin, Tristan, Madeleine, Jack, Lauren, 
and Caroline, his spirit and legacy live on. The country he helped to 
preserve as the greatest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the 
world remains forever grateful.

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