Wayne Martin (Term of Office 1999)
Wayne B. Martin was born on June 18, 1921 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania to James Edward and Ruth J. (Griffith) Martin. At the age of two, his parents died and he was raised by his grandparents. Wayne had two brothers, William and James.
When Wayne was about 16 years old, he signed a contract with the New York Yankees farm team and played for one season with the San Francisco Seals. His love for baseball continued while he was in the Armed Services. Although he was an Army man, Martin was transferred to the Air Force so he could play baseball with their team. One of his teammates was Joe DiMaggio.
When Martin was 18, he volunteered for active military service in Pittsburgh, later departing to Hawaii where he was an Army Technical Sergeant in Chemical Warfare Service at Schofield Army Barracks. Schofield Barracks played a primary role in training troops for the Pacific Theater of Operations in World War II. Martin was scheduled to leave Hawaii on December 12, 1941 to return to the mainland, but Pearl Harbor was attacked on the morning of December 7. Schofield Barracks, located about 35 minutes north of Pearl Harbor, was right across the road from Wheeler Army Airfield, home to nearly 150 fighter planes and a target for the Japanese who needed to disable the planes so they could bomb Pearl Harbor’s ships. Schofield Barracks was the principal setting for the 1951 novel “Here to Eternity," and the barracks and its surrounding area were used for the TV series "Tour of Duty”and the movie “Tora! Tora! Tora!” Dozens of Americans were killed at Schofield Barracks, but Wayne survived. He later served as state chairman of the Colorado Pearl Harbor Survivors’ Association.
When the war was over, Wayne came to Colorado and worked at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal as a security guard. He married Shirley I. Schaffert on September 26, 1959 in Fitzsimmons Military Church in Aurora, Colorado. After serving with the U.S. Army for 21 years, 12 years in Hawaii, he retired from the U.S. Army in 1961. Martin went into law enforcement, joining the Littleton Police Department. For the next 20 years, Martin served as Chief of Police in Cortez, Manitou Springs and Federal Heights, retiring on August 3, 1981.
Martin was elected to City Council three times in the 1980s and again in 1992, serving more than 16 years including five years as Mayor Pro Tem. He made an unsuccessful bid for Mayor in 1995, losing to Phil Stewart. When Stewart left his post mid-term in 1999, Martin was appointed to serve as Mayor of Federal Heights for the remainder of Stewart’s term, March through November. Martin’s fellow City Council members Grace Diamond, Mildred Early, Carol Robinson, Mike Sweeney, Mike Vallero and Mayor Pro Tem Sharon Richardson served with him through the end of his term in November, 1999.
During his time as Mayor, City Council addressed issues regarding Home Rule, the Federal Plaza Shopping Center, bus shelters, a blight study, ward boundaries and Y2K preparedness. After his term in 1999, Wayne Martin did not run for office again. Martin passed away on January 18, 2011, survived by his wife of 51 years, Shirley, and five children. He was buried with honors at Fort Logan National Cemetery.