The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-11-28
Kenosha's Only Colored
Soldier in France Wins
Promotion in French
Training School.
DECORATED FOR BRAVERY
Former High School Boy Wins His
Shoulder Bars With High Grade
and May Remain With the
Army Permanently.

Page First Lieutenant James Mar
tin, U. S. A.
! Jimmy Martin may have had a
little darker skin than lot of the
boys who marched out from Kenosha
to tight the battles of world freedom,
hut there was none among the whole
list OF Kenosha soldiers who has a
winter record in the great war. Jimmy
| Martin is now a first lieutenant IN
Uncle Sam 3 army overseas and he
won the promotion In the battle
Scared regions of France after attend
ing training school from which he
was graduated with rank of ninety
seven per cent, one of the highest
grades ever given to an enlisted man
Iseeking promotion in the army.
Martin was the only colored man
from Kenosha who went to France as
member of the American army. He
was i former high school student and
/ d football hero and hero of the class
room as we'll When the war broke
lous he sent his name right in to the
adjutaRt general as = candidate for
the training school at Camp Dodge at
1 DeMoines, but the ranks were soon
filled and as Jimmy Martin was little
under age he failed to get into the
lclasses. He tried to enlist in several
other branches Of the service and then
Just waited until the first draft call
was made. He was sent from Kenosha
to Camp Custer, leaving in October,
1917 and he was one OF the first of the
selected men from Kenosha to get
chance to 60 overseas. Just as soon
as he reached France things began to
happen for Jimmy Martin. He was
called upon to act as a messenger in
I"No Man Is Land'' and he did the
work so well that he won personal
recommendation from his commanding
officer. Later Jimmy Martin was sent
to the trenches and he was one Of the
men who went over the top dozens of
times and every time he was called to
face the cold steel of the Germans he
faced it like hero. On Fone occasion
as he came back from the trenches
bearing wounded soldier, the com
mander Of his company stopped him
and sent him to the quarters of the
commanding officers of the division
and there he was singled out for recog-
milton for especial bravery and given
the decoration of the American army.
| Again his name was mentioned
in the dispatches sent back to the
President at home.
When the call was made for men
to be trained for officers, Martin was
unanimously endorsed by the men in
esmmand of the infantry company in
which he was serving. 1t was shown
that he had been made corporal be-
fore he had been in the army week,
land that he was named sergeant be-
fore the call to overseas service and
advanced to acting first sergeant Of
his company for bravery on the field.
It is probable that Martin will re
main with the army. His services have
been rendered in such an intelligent
manner that he has been urged to
Iremain in service.
/ So far as IS known Jimmy Martin
is the only man from Kenosha to
win his silver bars in a training school
in France.
Jimmy Martin comes from family
of patriots as his two sisters, Grace and
Madeline Martin, are now serving as
nurses in the u. s. Army Reserve.
| Lieutenant Martin s home is at 301
Fremont avenue.