On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces of WWII launched the largest seaborne invasion in history. Now, 81 years later, a new veterans memorial in Sugarcreek Township, Ohio, honors the legacy of one local man who jumped into battle that day.
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Jim “Pee Wee” Martin was a paratrooper in the legendary 101st Airborne Division, known as the Screaming Eagles. American airborne troops went through rigorous training to qualify. They were well-hardened young men ready to “jump into the war.”
As a member of G Company, Martin parachuted behind enemy lines at night near Utah Beach in Nazi-occupied France, hours before Allied troops stormed the shoreline in what will always be known as D-Day. He was in the same combat area depicted in the TV series “Band of Brothers."
By the time the sun had risen here in Southwest Ohio on D-Day, the Invasion of Hitler’s Europe was at midday, and the Airborne Divisions had already been locked in combat for several hours. The British Airborne forces attacked and held the Eastern flank of the invasion area. The Western flank was the responsibility of the American 82nd and Martin's 101st Airborne.
He would go on to fight through France, Holland, and into Germany, experiencing the horrors and heroics of World War II firsthand.
Now, Sugarcreek Township is dedicating a new veterans memorial at the corner of Feedwire and Upper Bellbrook Roads. At its center stands a bronze statue of Martin, who died in 2022 at age 101. The tribute was deliberately timed for June 6 to mark his role in one of the most consequential days in modern history.
But the new memorial doesn’t just commemorate D-Day. Nearby Pioneer Cemetery holds the graves of five Revolutionary War veterans, three War of 1812 veterans, and two from the Civil War. The site is a reminder that Sugarcreek Township has long been home to those who answered the call to serve.
All I cared about was getting a job to take care of my family and building a house, and forgetting the world.Jim 'Pee-Wee' Martin
From D-Day to Dayton: A life of quiet dedication
A longtime resident of Sugarcreek Township, Martin built his own home on 50 acres and was married to his wife Donna for more than seven decades.
“All I cared about was getting a job to take care of my family and building a house,” Martin once said. “And forgetting the world.”
For his 100th birthday, Martin was honored with a rare tribute. Three vintage C-47 transport planes—identical to those used during the D-Day operation—flew in tight formation over Greene County. Paratroopers jumped from the aircraft using WWII-style parachutes, recreating the iconic moment when Martin and his fellow soldiers descended into war.
Hundreds gathered from across the USA to watch in person. It was a pleasant Ohio evening, and the paratroopers streamed from the C-47s at a low level and landed at the Greene County Skydiving Center. All of us on the ground watched in open-mouthed wonder as the jumpers with round parachutes delivered the tribute to Jim Martin.
Photographing Martin
I had the opportunity to make a black-and-white portrait of Martin a few years ago. I listened to his recounts of the D-Day experience and some of his lifelong recollections of living in Sugarcreek Township. He was small in stature but huge in toughness and was an active and engaged community member.
America owes its freedom to all the brave men and women, like Martin, who jumped into whatever duty was required to defend our liberty and democracy.
Blue Skies and Tailwinds is presented by SNC, a global aerospace and defense firm, with support from the Wright State University Aviation Science and Technology Program. The series is produced at the Eichelberger Center for Community Voices at WYSO.
