2Lt. Edward C. Martt was born and raised in Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio.

He graduated from Lash High School in 1942, where he had been President of his Senior Class. He was attending Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, when he was inducted into the U.S. Army Air Corps, on 27 February 1943. He was sent for training at Jefferson College, St. Louis, Missouri. He became a Pilot of Fighter Aircraft, and was sent overseas on 15 September 1944. He was a member of the 360th Air Service Group, stationed in the South Pacific.

On 27 January 1945, 2Lt. Edward C. Martt was the Pilot of a P-40 Curtiss Warhawk, serial number 44-7569, on a routine flight. His plane simply disappeared, and he was listed as Missing In Action.

27 January 1945

Pilot: 2Lt. Edward C. Martt~O-714955; Hometown: Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio; A/C: P-40 (Curtiss Warhawk) serial #: 44-7569; Missing Air Crew Report #: 13786; Location: Take Off from WAMA (Air) Strip, Morotai, Indonesia; Point of Departure: FEAF, (Far East Air Force) Combat Replacement Training Center, Nadzab; 360th Air Service Group; Missing On Routine Flight; Aircraft Last Seen At Time Of Take Off From WAMA; No information Available To Indicate Cause Of Possible Crash; No information Available To Indicate Any Person Had Contact Or Sighted Aircraft After Departing Morotai, (Indonesia); No Information Available To Indicate Whether Or Not Pilot Survived; No Photograph; Map; Sketch; Or Chart Available To Indicate Site Of Crash; It Is Unknown Whether Or Not There Were Any Witnesses To The Crash; No Search Made; Listed As: MISSING IN ACTION. Officially Declared Dead on 28 January 1946.

A Newspaper Story from the Zanesville Times Recorder Newspaper, in Zanesville, Ohio, Published on 16 November 1945, that states: "The Death of Second Lt. Edward C. Martt, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Martt, of Zanesville, Rt. 2; has been unofficially confirmed to his parents, by friends who wrote that they saw the wreckage of the plane in which he crashed."

The MACR does not include this information.

The purported Location of the Crash was Leyte Island, Philippines.

A second Aircraft, also a P-40 (Curtiss Warhawk); Piloted by 2Lt. Richard W. Collins~O-714881; of Huron, Erie County, Ohio, was ALSO Lost, on the same date, and time, and under the same circumstances, and lack of reported facts. A/C: P-40 (Curtiss Warhawk) Serial #: 44-7917; Missing Air Crew Report #: 13785. It is ALSO purported that 2Lt. Richard W. Collins, ALSO crashed at Leyte Island, Philippines. He, too, was Listed as MISSING IN ACTION, and officially declared dead on 28 January 1946.

Edward C Martt