Aviation Is in My DNA

We grew up in the Martin culture

by Joe W.

My father retired from Martin Marietta long ago. I grew up in a community called Essex, Maryland, that was almost a company town. The streets in the Aero Acres community near the plant were named after aircraft parts. When Dad was graduating from high school in 1929, he heard of job opportunities at the Glenn L. Martin Company. After he passed away, I found a letter he had written before graduating from high school saying that he had satisfied all his academic requirements and could start work in May if hired. Martin did hire him just before they opened the Middle River plant, and he worked his entire career there. We attended family days over the years and were excited to climb into cockpits of Martin aircraft. We grew up with pictures of Martin aircraft on our bedroom walls. My last memories when he worked there included an exciting transition to the space program. It was nostalgic for me when I went to work at Lockheed Martin in 2000.