‘He was an inspiration;’ WWII veteran remembers Jim ‘Pee Wee’ Martin

Funeral arrangements have been announced for World War II veteran Jim “Pee Wee” Martin.

Martin was a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division who fought on D-Day.

He was also one of the first allied soldiers to infiltrate Nazi occupied France.

There are multiple WWII veterans who call Miami Valley home. One spoke with News Center 7′s Dontre Drexelius about their experience.

“It’s honorable. I was honored to serve my country... if I had to do it all over again, I will,” James Woods of Huber Heights said.

Woods said while he didn’t know Martin personally, his legacy was

“Someone that served that many years ... he was an inspiration to a lot of people .. he was an honorable person,” Woods said.

According to the National WWII Museum there are 16 million veterans who fought in WWII.

As of last year, only 240,000 WWII veterans were still living.

Martin’s visitation will be held Sept. 20 at the Sugar Valley Country Club in Sugarcreek Township.

He was 101 years old.

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