Lucian C. Martinez

CAPT Lucian C. Martinez, USN (Ret.) passed away peacefully on March 21st, 2015, at Fort Belvoir Hospital. He is survived by Carol, his beloved wife of 51 years of wonderful marriage; son, Lucian, Jr. and his fiancé William Kuehnle, of Washington D.C.; daughter Kathleen and son-in-law Blair Collier, of Chester Springs, PA; son David and daughter-in-law Michele Martinez of Durham, NC; granddaughters Tara Collier, Arielle and Chloe Martinez, and grandson Sean Collier.

CAPT Martinez was born in Tampa, FL, on October 28, 1930. He attended the University of Tampa and Florida State University, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism in June 1951. He also earned a Master of Sciences degree in International Affairs from George Washington University in 1969. He joined the Navy in October 1953, and was commissioned an Ensign in April 1954. He served on active duty as a Naval Intelligence Officer for over thirty years. Highlights of his career include duty on the staff of the Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet; Reserve Intelligence Program Officer, Thirteenth Naval District, Seattle WA where he met and married Carol; Senior Intelligence Officer, Naval Advisory Group, Vietnam, and Senior Intelligence Advisor to the Vietnamese Navy; Intelligence Officer, Headquarters, U.S. European Command; distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval War College; Assistant Senior Intelligence Officer, U.S. Naval Forces, Japan; Commanding Officer, Naval Investigative Office, Japan; and U.S. Defense and Naval Attaché, Peru. He retired from the Naval Intelligence Command in June 1985. After retiring from active Naval service, CAPT Martinez was employed by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) as an operational analyst and was assigned twice to Saudi Arabia. He subsequently became a management advisor and a program manager, retiring from SAIC in January 1998. In January 2003, CAPT Martinez accepted the position of Executive Director of the Naval Intelligence Foundation, a charitable organization with which he was associated for nine years.

His military awards include the Legion of Merit, three Defense Meritorious Service Medals, two Naval Meritorious Service Medals, two Joint Service Commendation Medals, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Armed Forces Expeditionary Mary, National Defense Service Medal, Peruvian Navy Cross, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Vietnam Civil Action Unit Citation

In November 2010, CAPT Martinez and his wife moved to The Fairfax, a military retirement community near Fort Belvoir, VA. He quickly became active in the Catholic Community, the Residents’ Council, and the community’s Navy activities. He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetary.