Col. George Martin wanted to be an astronaut, he wanted to go to Mars. And if the opportunity had ever come up to go to Mars I think everyone who knew him at the Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) would have wanted him to be a part of their crew. Unfortunately George passed away on Monday when the B-52 bomber flight he was on crashed. The flight was part of a fly-by celebration for Guam's Liberation Day. There were no survivors of the 6 person crew.

George had been to the HMP three times. First in 1998 and then in 2000 and 2002. Each time he came, he made friends and brought his sense of humor with him to make us all laugh. At the HMP George was our medical officer, or as he put it, the HMP Doc, but more importantly he was integral part of the team that helped keep morale high while working in the extreme environment of the high arctic with its long work days and short stays.

George, 51, was the deputy commander of 36th Medical Group at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. His love for space extended to his family as he named his daughter Gemini, and his dogs were named Apollo and Mercury.

For those of us who had the privilege of working with George when he was at the HMP and came to know him, if only briefly, we will miss him.

Marc Boucher

Links:

• Col. George Martin: a flight surgeon with dreams of space, Shreveport Times
• Air Force: Entire crew killed in B-52 crash near Guam, CNN
• Officials name downed B-52 aircrew members, Air Force Link
• Air Force to hold memorial service, KUAM Guam
• 1998 Space Team Online Web Chat, NASA Quest