[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1355]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING DALTON VERNON MARTIN FOR HIS LIFETIME OF SERVICE TO AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BILL CASSIDY

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 8, 2011

  Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Dalton 
Vernon Martin, Chief Petty Officer, United States Navy (Ret.), and 
Sherriff's Deputy, East Baton Rouge Sherriff's Department, who passed 
away on January 23, 2011.
  Born in St. Francisville, Louisiana on November 11, 1921, 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.
  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.

                          ____________________