Finding an Aviation Legacy Through Captain Martin's Jacket

An old World War II-era leather pilot's jacket presents a thread that leads to unraveling details of his career.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, July 14, 2023 at 11:48 AM ET

Verified

Jack Martin, right, wearing the A-2 flight jacket in an undated photo. [Courtesy: Anne Palmer Martin]

Key Takeaways:

The narrator received a WWII A-2 flight jacket belonging to Jack L. Martin, a veteran and pilot, and initiated its restoration to preserve history and learn about its owner.
Research identified the jacket as a 1942 Cable Raincoat Company model and revealed clues, including a photograph, suggesting Martin served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, possibly as an instructor for T-6/SNJ aircraft.
Martin went on to a distinguished career with Flying Tiger Line, notably managing operations for the DEW Line construction and piloting the 1965 "Rockwell Polar Flight," the first aircraft to circumnavigate the Earth over both poles, setting multiple world records.

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“I want to give you a family treasure, but only if you want it,” the message from Anne Palmer Martin, a dear college friend began.

The treasure was a World War II-era A-2 leather jacket that belonged to Jack L. Martin, her father-in-law. She never knew him. He died when his son Bob—Anne’s husband—was 13. The jacket had been worn once or twice by Bob, who passed away a few months ago. For the most part, according to Anne, it has been in a closet for more than 20 years.