World War II Honoree

Martin Teaford Hatcher

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Bedford, Virginia

Honored By

Tommie H. Hatcher

Relationship

Wife

SEPTEMBER 1941, LIEUTENANT, FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AT THE NAVAL AIR STATION IN MIAMI, FLORIDA. SEPTEMBER 1942, TRANSFERRED TO NAVAL AIR STATION NORFOLK, VIRGINIA. FROM THERE HE WENT TO WILLOW GROVE, PENNSYLVANIA, THEN TO THE MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IN PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA. WHILE ON PARRIS ISLAND, HE TRAINED HIS SQUADRON OF PILOTS IN TORPEDO AIRCRAFT. THIS WAS IN PREPARATION TO GO ABOARD A NEW AIRCRAFT CARRIER, USS PRINCETON, BEING BUILT IN CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY. AFTER A SHAKEDOWN CRUISE IN THE CARIBBEAN, THE USS PRINCETON, WITH TORPEDO SQUADRON 23 AND FIGHTER SQUADRON 23, DEPARTED FOR THE PACIFIC, ARRIVING AT PEARL HARBOR ON AUGUST 10, 1943. DEPARTED ON FIRST COMBAT MISSION IN SEPTEMBER 1943. DURING THE FOLLOWING YEAR UNTIL JUNE 1944, THEY SAW MUCH COMBAT ACTION, MAKING MANY STRIKES ON JAPANESE BASES AND SHIPS. NOW A LIEUTENANT COMMANDER AND COMMANDING OFFICER OF VT-23, MARTIN LED 32 ATTACKS, INCLUDING TWO IN WHICH HE DROPPED TORPEDOES ON JAPANESE SHIPS NEAR RABAUL AND NEW IRELAND ON NOVEMBER 3RD AND NOVEMBER 11TH. JUNE 1944, THE SQUADRON WAS RELIEVED OF DUTY AND RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES FOR NEW ASSIGNMENT. MARTIN, NOW PROMOTED TO COMMANDER, WAS ORDERED TO THE NAVAL AIR STATION IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA WHERE HE HAD DUTY AS OFFICER IN CHARGE OF FLIGHT TRAINING. HE SERVED IN THIS DUTY UNTIL THE SPRING OF 1945. HE WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA WHERE HE SERVED ON THE STAFF OF THE NAVAL AIR TRAINING COMMANDER UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR.