This is August Harvey Martin. He died tragically at Uli in today‘s Anambra in 1968, just to save lives of Biafrans. ‘Augie’ as he was fondly called, was the First Black airline pilot in the USA& the First black American to attain the rank Of captain with a commercial airline. 
He was a Tuskeegee Airman and worked for Seaboard World Airlines. He was passionately committed to the course of the Biafrans during their three year battle for survival (1967-1970) and was part of Humanitarian Aid flights and Biafra Airlift operations.
On 30th July 1968, while on leave from Seaboard World Airlines, Captain Martin volunteered to fly food and relief material in a mercy mission into the embattled and starved stronghold enclave of Biafra during the Biafra War.
As he was landing his Lockheed L‑1049G Super Constellation on the Uli jungle Airstrip at night, during a tropical storm, he was killed in a fatal crash.
Also killed in the accident were his wife, actress Gladys Frank Riddle Martin as well as two representatives of the International Red Cross.
To memorise him, August Martin High School in New York was named after him in 1971.
To memorise him, August Martin High School in New York was named after him in 1971.
The school has popular alumni like the R&B singer, Kelly Price, Jazz Musician, Najee, Russell Simmons and mayor of New York, Byron Brown. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration published the August Martin Activities Book for Minority Children in 1980 and 1993.
#Biafranhistory
#Biafranhistory
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