Unleashing hell
Taos-born private leads charge in World War II battle, awarded Medal of Honor
During World War II on May 26, 1943, the 32nd Infantry Regiment was engaged in combat against Japanese troops in the vicinity of Fish Hook Ridge on Attu Island, Alaska. The regiment was pinned down by enemy fire. The terrain was snow-covered and craggy. The air was chilling. Success looked grim.
But a Taos-born Army private name José “Joe” Pantaleon Martínez had a fire in his belly. On his own accord, he instinctively unleashed hell by leading two assaults. While ascending a slippery and rocky slope, dodging the spray of machine gun fire, he pulled the trigger on his Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) and threw hand grenades into the Japanese foxholes. The men of his unit followed. As the 22-year-old drafted rifleman approached one final foxhole after the second assault, he was shot in the head. He died from the wound the following day.
Martinez’s gallant and fearless actions, however, was instrumental in the destruction of this key strategic Japanese stronghold.
The Battle of Attu may be a lesser known conflict in comparison to D-Day (June 6, 1944), but it was the main defensive clash of the Aleutian Islands Campaign. American and Japanese armies fought for control of this small, sparsely inhabited United Statesowned island at the far western end of Alaska’s Aleutian chain in the North Pacific. On June 7, 1942, Japan invaded the island and its neighbor Kiska and established garrisons. The reason for taking Attu and Kiska is speculated to have been to divert United States forces during Japan’s attack on Midway Island (June 4-7, 1942) in the central Pacific. It’s also possible the Japanese believed holding the two islands would prevent the United States from invading Japan by way of the Aleutians.
Conversely, the United States feared that the remote islands would be used as bases from which the Japanese could launch aerial attacks on the West Coast. The Japanese were the first invaders to set foot on American soil since the War of 1812. It became a matter of national pride to drive them out.
In May 1943, U.S. troops finally retook Attu in large part due to Martinez’s bravery and leadership. In August, U.S. troops reclaimed Kiska.
The Battle of Attu was the only land battle fought in North America during World War II.
A SOLDIER’S ROOTS
Martinez was born in Taos on July 27, 1920. He was one of nine children of Juan and Dovijen Martinez of Talpa. He attended elementary school in Talpa, and there are still some who remember Joe Martinez and his family from when they lived here.
In 1927, Martinez’s father, who was an agricultural laborer in need of work, decided to move the family from Taos to Ault, Colorado. Juan got a job with Oscar Salzburg in Ault and worked for him for 10 years, according to Padilla’s research.
In August 1942, Joe was drafted into the United States Army and sent to Camp Roberts, California, where he received his basic training. He was assigned to K Company, the 32 Infantry Regiment of the Seventh Division. He was with his companions, including José de la Luz Romero of Llano Quemado, in the campaign of Attu Island.
For his heroic efforts and supreme sacrifice, Joe was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. His posthumous award was the first act for combat heroism on American soil (other than the 15 at Pearl Harbor) since the Indian wars. He was also the first Hispanic American in World War II from the United States to receive the Medal of Honor; the first private in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor; and the first Coloradoan to be awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II. He was also awarded the Purple Heart.
On April 13, 1945, the United States Navy named one of its ships, which served as a troop transport during the Korean War, the USNS Private Joe P. Martinez. The state of Colorado has honored his memory by naming a street and renaming a former base reception center and early officer’s club, which currently serves as the service center, after him. A Disabled American Veterans chapter in Colorado and an American Legion post in California are named in his honor. Three statues were erected with his likeness and are located in the Colorado cities of Ault, Greeley and Denver. The U.S. Army also named an Army Reserve military installation in Denver after Martinez. The 7th Infantry Division honored him in 1977 by naming the Fort Ord Welcome Center (originally the Post Headquarters) Martinez Hall. Although Fort Ord closed in 1993, Martinez Hall still serves as a Veterans Transition Service Center.
Martinez was buried with full military honors at Ault Cemetery in Ault, Weld County, Colorado.
In a past article, former El Crespúsculo editor Jerry Padilla wrote about a conversation he had with Vietnam War veterans for a Memorial Day story he was working on. One veteran was from Taos, and the other from a small town in Colfax County, among others. It was brought up that New Mexico has one of the largest numbers of soldiers who have received the Congressional Medal of Honor (15 to date, per newmexicohistory.org) in regard to the percentage of the state’s population. However, many of them received it only after they died, like Martinez.
“Some may remember others from the Vietnam War who were awarded from New Mexico, such as Louis R. Rocco (who was born in Albuquerque, but lived in California when he joined the military) and Daniel Fernandez (also from Albuquerque),” Padilla wrote. “We also have Hiroshi ‘Hershey’ Miyamura from Gallup who fought in the Korean War, as well as others from World War II.”
During the conversation, these veterans discussed Martinez’s act, and the question raised was, “If he is of Taoseño origin, why is there not a statue, or something with his name recognizing the contribution to the defense of the nation? What is not fair is that a local hero isn’t recognized in the place where he was born.”
Padilla’s literary effort to call attention to city leaders to see if it’s possible to inspire the erection of something, anything, in the memory of our local hero has gone unnoticed.
Pvt. Martinez literally sacrificed his life defending our country; not for political reasons, or the American Dream or any one person’s ideals, but
America herself.
The Congressional Medal
of Honor citation for Joe. P. Martinez from Oct. 27, 1943 reads: “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy. Over a period of several days, repeated efforts to drive the enemy from a key defensive position high in the snow-covered precipitous mountains between East Arm Holtz Bay and Chichagof Harbor had failed. On 26 May 1943, troop dispositions were readjusted and a trial coordinated attack on this position by a reinforced battalion was launched. Initially successful, the attack hesitated. In the face of severe hostile machine gun, rifle, and mortar fire, Pvt. Martinez, an automatic rifleman, rose to his feet and resumed his advance. Occasionally he stopped to urge his comrades on. His example inspired others to follow. After a most difficult climb, Pvt. Martinez eliminated resistance from part of the enemy position by BAR fire and hand grenades, thus assisting the advance of other attacking elements. This success only partially completed the action. The main Holtz-Chichagof Pass rose about 150 feet higher, flanked by steep rocky ridges and reached by a snow-filled defile. Passage was barred by enemy fire from either flank and from tiers of snow trenches in front. Despite these obstacles, and knowing of their existence, Pvt. Martinez again led the troops on and up, personally silencing several trenches with BAR fire and ultimately reaching the pass itself. Here, just below the knifelike rim of the pass, Pvt. Martinez encountered a final enemyoccupied trench and as he was engaged in firing into it he was mortally wounded. The pass, however, was taken, and its capture was an important preliminary to the end of organized hostile resistance.”