Fallen Soldier: Shawn P. Martin

Sergeant Shawn P. Martin, 30, of Delmar, N.Y., was assigned to the Combat Logistics Battalion 13, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif. On June 20, 2007, Sgt. Martin was killed while conducting combat operations in Saqlawiyah, Iraq.

Sgt. Martin was a 1995 graduate of Bethlehem Central High School, where he was a member of the varsity football team. He was involved in scouting, played baseball and pursued his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Sgt. Martin was a member of the Elsmere Fire Department, where he volunteered with his father.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps in February 2000, was promoted to sergeant in 2004 and served as an elite member of the Marines Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team. Sgt. Martin was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medals.

Those that worked with him at the fire department said he wanted to be the first one inside the burning building. “He wanted to be the guy going in and taking care of everybody. He would do whatever he needed to do to get the job done,” said Elsmere fire captain Rick Zigrosser.

Sgt. Martin’s wife is a Folds of Honor Scholarship recipient.