Our Family Hero:
CTRCS Joseph Lee Martfeld, United States Navy 12 November 1970 – 26 July 1996
By the time Joe graduated from high school in 1970, he was certain his draft number would come up. Wishing to avoid a year in the jungles and rice paddies of Vietnam, he joined the Navy and headed to boot camp at Orlando Naval Training Center, Orlando, Florida on 12 November 1970. Arriving just after company 198 had formed up, he was forced to wait two weeks in a holding barracks until enough new recruits showed up to form the next company. Company 199 formed too late to earn Christmas leave home so another two weeks were spent in down time waiting for company commanders and other staff to return from their holidays. An eight week ordeal turned into 12 weeks which seemed like forever for a kid who missed Thanksgiving, his birthday, Christmas and New Years Day away from home for the first time. During classification, the time when you select the job specialty you want, Joe picked Communications Technician — Radio (CTR), his last choice of 5, because he heard there was little chance of sea duty.
Luckily, Seaman Recruit Martfeld was granted his last choice and headed to CTR ‘A’ School at Naval Technical Training Center, Corry Station, Pensacola Florida in February 1971. After ‘A’ school, Joe received orders to Naval Communications Station Philippines (NCSP), San Miguel, Philippines arriving in July 1971. Seaman Apprentice Martfeld spent his first three months sitting a Morse code collection position on a 2-2-2-80 watch schedule (two day watches, 2 eve watches, 2 mid watches and 80 hours off). He volunteered to join the Fleet Support division and in October he was sent on Temporary Additional Duty (TAD) to the USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) and headed to “Yankee Station” in the Gulf of Tonkin off North Vietnam. There he manned a Morse code collection position supporting the command directly with Signals Intelligence. After the Enterprise headed home, he spent about 12 days at NCSP before being sent TAD to the USS Hancock (CVA-19). North Vietnam started the 1972 Easter Offensive in March and Hancock was the only carrier on station at the initial outbreak. Air operations were conducted around the clock.
Joe stood 12 hours on and 12 hours off every day, Easter Offensive or not, but the air crews worked merciless hours and, exhausted, would catch naps between launch and recovery cycles wherever they could; in the passageways, on aircraft wings, on the flight deck or in the catwalks. Joe and several of his NCSP shipmates cross-decked from one Aircraft Carrier to another beyond April 1973 when “Peace with Honor” was declared. When the Vietnam war actually ended in April 1975, Petty Officer Martfeld again served in USS Hancock supporting Operation Eagle Pull, the evacuation of Cambodia and Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Vietnam. Joe served off Vietnam on these carriers1:
USS Enterprise (CVAN-65): 6 October 1971 – 26 January 1972
USS Hancock (CVA-19): 4 February 1972 – 21 May 1972
USS Midway (CVA-41): 21 May 1972 – 8 February 1973
USS Enterprise CVAN- 65): 8 February 1973 – 13 April 1973
USS Constellation (CVA-64) (COMCARGRU Five) 7 June 1973 – 13 June 1973
USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) 13 June 1973 – 24 Jun 1973
USS Hancock (CVA-19) (COMCARGRU Three) 24 June 1973 – 5 July 1973
USS Constellation (CVA-64) (COMCARGRU Five) 5 July 1973 – 27 Aug 1973
USS Coral Sea (COMCARGRU Three) 6 October 1973 – 21 October 1973
USS Hancock (COMCARGRU Seven) 21 October 1973 – 17 December 1973
USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) 21 February 1974 – 1 May 1974
USS Hancock (CVA-19) 7 April 1975 – 3 May 1975
During the Vietnamese war, many worthwhile contributions were made to Naval Operations by the cryptologic community and Joe was proud of the vital support he provided and could see acted upon in real time by combat commanders. This convinced the young sailor that what he was doing was important and was a great influence on his decision to stay in the Navy. Senior Chief Petty Officer Martfeld retired from active duty on 31 July 1996 at NSGA Ft. Meade, MD finishing his 26 year career working for the National Security Agency (NSA). Joe went on to have a second very successful 20 year career in Information Technology before completely retiring in December 2013.
Joe’s shore duty Stations included:
Naval Training Center, Orlando, FL 12 Nov 1970 – 05 Feb 1971
Naval Communications Training Center, Pensacola, FL 22 Feb 1971 – 09 Jul 1971
NSCP San Miguel, Philippines 26 Jul 1971 – 06 Oct 1974
NSGA Clark, Philippines 03 Dec 1974 – 01 Jul 1977
NSGA Ft. Meade, MD (CY 155 School) 11 Jul 1977 – 30 Nov 1977
NSGA Northwest, Chesapeake, VA 09 Dec 1977 – 29 Oct 1979
NSGA Hanza, Okinawa, Japan 08 Dec 1979 – 22 Jun 1983
NSGA Clark, Philippines 22 Jun 1983 – 30 May 1986
Fleet Training Group, Pearl Harbor, HI (instructor) 30 May 1986 – 25 Jun 1986
NAVCAMS West Pac, Guam 12 Jul 1986 – 14 Jun 1988
NSGA Skaggs Island, CA 14 Jul 1988 – 30 Jun 1991
CINCUSNAVEUR, London, UK 26 Jul 1991 – 05 Aug 1994
NSGA Ft. Meade, MD 06 Aug 1994 – 31 Jul 1996
Visit Joseph Lee Martfeld’s individual genealogical reocord.
Credits:
- Service Record, History of Assignments, 13 November 1970 – 11 October 1979
- Photo by Joe Martfeld
Let us never forget.