May 9, 2014 at 4:11 p.m.
Not forgotten: 10 years later, community, police department remember Steve Martin's sacrifice
Not forgotten: 10 years later, community, police department remember Steve Martin's sacrifice
After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Steve Martin, a veteran and police officer in Rhinelander, responded in defense of his country.
He re-enlisted in the armed forces, signing up for the National Guard with hope of deploying to the Middle East. On Dec. 1, 2003, Martin was called to active duty in the 330th Military Police Unit.
He was sent to Iraq to train the fledgling Iraqi police force that would assume command from the current law enforcement in the area.
In June 2004, about 18 months into his tour, a suicide car bomber attempted to drive a vehicle packed with explosives into the police training academy where he was stationed.
While most of the academy was sleeping, Martin and two other soldiers heard the vehicle drawing near. They ran to the roof and opened fire. Because of their quick thinking, the rest of the academy was saved from harm, but Martin was gravely injured.
He was transported to Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington D.C. On July 1, one week after the attack on the academy, Martin succumbed to his injuries.
Jim Thorpe joined the Rhinelander Police Department in the mid-'90s, around the same time as Martin. They became close friends.
"We started working the same shift and became friends that way both on duty and off duty," Thorpe said. "He was a straightforward, hard-working, no-nonsense type of person. He was always looking out for the little guy. He always wanted to do what was right for the protection of others. He was always looking to contribute to the community."
Martin spearheaded several community projects that still resonate to this day.
He was the driving force behind the bike patrol and loved to interact with the community's youth. He was instrumental in creating the BMX track near what was then West Elementary School and donated much of his time to raising money and maintaining the park. At home, he was a loving husband. His widow, Kathy Martin, said the gruff exterior of the policeman was far from who he was around his family.
"He was tough as a police officer," she said. "He was different in that mode than he was at home. He was super nice and helpful. He was very loving and loved doing things with the kids. He loved anything outdoors, especially biking."
When Martin was on the job, he was all business. He took a no-nonsense approach to police work. Diana Kirby, an administrative assistant at the Rhinelander Police Department, remembers him well.
"What a gem of a guy he was," she said. "He was a quiet, sweet person. I remember him sitting in the dark, typing his reports out and listening to music. He loved all kinds of music. I remember him listening to Queen one time. He was a little surprised when I told him how much I liked Queen."
Thorpe and Martin bonded because, ultimately, they were a lot alike. Both were dedicated to service and after Sept. 11 they both felt a sense of duty to respond.
"It's the reason I have so much respect for the guy," Thorpe said. "After the events on Sept. 11, he joined the National Guard. He was in the military prior to that, but he joined back up with the National Guard in hopes of doing all he could to protect our country from any kind of future attacks. He was extremely upset, just like I was, about what occurred that day. He wanted to get involved again with the National Guard because to tell you the truth, he wanted to be deployed."
When word came down that Martin would indeed be going overseas, it was Thorpe he confided in and trusted with certain responsibilities should anything happen to him.
"Both of our fathers were involved in the military," Thorpe said. "He talked to me before he was deployed and we talked about the possibility of getting killed over there. He asked me if I could deal with that and I told him I could. It's kind of hard to describe him if you haven't met him, but that's how he was. He asked me that and I told him I understood, but he wanted to make sure I knew he accepted that it was a real possibility.
"Of course, he didn't want to get killed, but we had a long, in-depth conversation about the possibility. That's why when he was initially injured, it was my obligation to do all I could to provide the care he needed, whether that was getting him back to Rhinelander alive to partake in his rehab, or what ended up being the case, making sure his body got back to his wife and ensure him a proper burial."
When Martin decided to re-enlist, his wife wasn't angry. She admired her husband's courage.
"Honestly, I was proud of him for wanting to do join," she said. "I didn't think anything bad was going to happen. I thought he was just doing what he loved. He loved serving and he was happy. It was scary, but I had this strong feeling of happiness that he was going to do something he felt so strongly about. I was right there with him."
After the attack on the academy, Thorpe and Kathy Martin boarded a plane to Washington D.C. While they were in the air, Kirby got word of her colleague's condition.
"Kathy (Martin) was on her way out see him with Jim Thorpe," she said. "Our chief at the time called me and told us that Steve had passed away. We couldn't say anything because we knew before the public did. It was very difficult. There were just the two of us girls in the office. I held it in until I just couldn't stand it any longer. It was very hard for the department."
When Kathy Martin finally landed, it became clear that her husband's condition was gravely serious.
"They gave me the wrong information," Kathy Martin said. "They told me he just had a broken arm or something, so when I got to Washington, they told me it was much worse. They said he had a bad head injury and he wasn't going to make it. I remember going numb. I felt like my whole life was over. It was awful and I feel sorry for anyone who has to go through that."
Steve Martin sacrificed his life for a country and a cause he deeply believed in. Ten years later, the community he called home remains grateful. Although only a handful of officers and employees from Martin's era remain at the Rhinelander Police Department, he continues to serve as an example for future generations.
In honor of the 10th anniversary of his death, the department is dedicating a memorial to him. At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, the department will dedicate a walkway and flag to Martin's memory.
Halfway across the world, Thorpe will remember his friend in his own way. He's working in Iraq, doing his part to give back and honor Martin's legacy.
"As a husband, father, police officer and soldier, the work that he has done in his lifetime and the work many others have done, is an incredible commitment," Thorpe said. "He and I could have done many different things. He was a hard worker. He chose to serve his country though. He was in the military, became a police officer and went back into the military, so I take my hat off to him."
Martin was a patriot and a hero in every sense of the word. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 he risked and ultimately gave his life in the name of the United States. He stopped a car bomber from infiltrating the police academy where he was stationed, saving lives in the process.
A decade later, Rhinelander still remembers.
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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