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 author received a WWII-era A-2 leather flight jacket belonging to veteran pilot Jack L. Martin from a college friend, initiating a project to preserve history and learn about his life.
Through the jacket's labels and accompanying photographs, the author identified its manufacturer (Cable Raincoat Company, 1942) and gathered clues about Captain Martin's WWII service, suggesting he may have been a flight instructor.
Captain Martin had a distinguished post-war career with Flying Tiger Line, including piloting the first aircraft to fly around the world over both the North and South poles in 1965, earning him international accolades.

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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.