WEST POINT, N.Y. (Aug. 18, 2011) -- In the commandant's office is a photo of his father, Lt. Col. Ephraim Martin, who dropped out of high school to join the Navy during World War II, despite the fact that he was the only son.
"Dad wanted to join the Navy and even though my grandmother wouldn't sign the agreement to allow him to go"because he was the only son and needed permission" my grandfather wrote on that paper to let him go. I still have that paper," said Brig. Gen. Theodore D. Martin, the 73rd Commandant of Cadets.
Martin, a Class of 1983 graduate, assumed command on July 15, having just served as the 45th Chief of Armor and commandant of the Army Armor School at its new location at Fort Benning, Ga. He credits his father for giving him the opportunity to attend West Point.
"Eventually, my dad decided to go to the University of Maine and joined the Army," Martin said. "He also fought in Korea and Vietnam and retired as a lieutenant colonel. He became 100 percent disabled"the category for my West Point appointment. That was all due to my dad."
Martin is not the only academy graduate in his family.
"I'm just one of four Martin boys that are West Point graduates," he said. "One of my brothers is a 1975 graduate, another is a 1980 graduate and the other is a 1985 graduate, but my mom is the real hero."
The Martin family's interest in the military is not just a modern phenomenon. His family has traced an ancestor back to the Revolutionary War through friends who were members of the Sons of the American Revolution, a fraternal organization for men who can trace direct lineage to an ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War.
"My dad showed me a lineage that goes back to the Revolutionary War," he said. "I saw a photocopy of pay records for Pvt. Daniel Martin who served at Valley Forge."
The appointment as commandant is the first time Martin has been back to West Point since his graduation, which reunites him with fellow '83 classmate Brig. Gen. Timothy Trainor, dean of the academic board.
Martin said that often there are struggles with other officers in this kind of situation over such things as resources.
"That won't happen with the dean" we work close together and we have a handshake," he said.
As a cadet, Martin was the captain of the 1982-83 Army swimming team and was commissioned as a Armor second lieutenant. Martin is the first Armor commandant to come back here since the 56th Commandant of Cadets, Walter F. Ulmer (1975-1977).
Martin's command experience includes commander, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Federal Republic of Germany and commander, 1st Squadron, 10th U.S. Cavalry Regiment (Buffalo Soldiers), 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, which deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. Later, he became as the G3 for the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Iron Horse, also in Iraq.
Martin received the Order of Saint George (armor), the Order of Saint Barbara (artillery) and the Order of Saint Maurice Primicerius (infantry)""top honors given through nominations to those who made significant contributions to their respective branches.
"I am a combined Army officer," Martin said. "Nobody does anything alone."
Martin also held a variety of staff and leadership assignments including the Combined Arms Command-Training, Fort Leavenworth, Kan. and the Joint Improvised Explosive Device-Defeat Task Force as the Iraq Field Team Leader in Baghdad. He sees his role as commandant as a hands-on leader.
"With the role of a leader in cadet leadership development, the TAC officers have large roles as coach-teachers and mentors. Most have recent and relevant combat experience. As a commandant, I'm selfish in taking care of the Corps of Cadets," he said. "Look who has come out of West Point""Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley. I need to provide (that type) of inspiring leadership and that will be tough. I want to develop (the cadets) to the max possible."
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