PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR

Ed Martinsen was one of the last remaining survivors of Pearl Harbor. He was an amazing man who had seen such tragedy in the eyes of a 21 year old boy. His story of Pearl Harbor was not like that of a movie but real life details of a true American tragedy.

EDWIN RICHARD MARTINSON
A Memorial service for Edwin Richard Martinson will be held Saturday August 1, 2009 at 11:00am at First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Dan Alexander officiating.

Edwin was born in Mt. Iron, Minnesota on February 7, 1920 and his parents were Matthew and Elizabeth Martinson and passed away in Conroe, Texas Monday July 6, 2009.

As a 21-year-old machinists mate onboard the battleship USS California BB-44, Martin-son was present when the Japanese Navy launched the Dec. 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor Attack that thrust the United States into WWII. At the time of the attack, Martinson was in the stern part of the ship below deck when the bombs and torpedoes hit his ship. The battleship was on fire and listening to port, when the abandon ship order was issued. Martinson and several of his shipmates had trouble reaching topside and had to jump into the sea of burning fuel oil. After surviving the ordeal, Martinson was reassigned to another ship and spent the rest of the war serving in the South Pacific Theater; he earned 12 metals during the war. During his Navy career, Martinson served onboard a number of ships including the USS California, USS Columbia, USS Shangri-la, USS Boxer and the USS General H.W. Butner. He also was among the fleet group, which participated in the early atomic bomb test in the Pacific. Martinson retired from the US Navy in1962 as a Master Chief Petty Officer. Martinson was a dedicated member of Trinity County VFW Post 6899. Martinson was the last of the VFW Post member to survive Pearl Harbor. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include his devoted wife of 67 years Loretta Martinson; son Edwin Richard "Rick" Martinson, Jr. and wife Beth; grandson Jacob Rudolph Martinson; sisters Lila Mehelich and Delores Johnson; and many other relatives and friends.

Waller-Thornton Funeral Home