Korean War Letters of a U.S. Marine

As a 21-year-old Marine sent to the front lines of the Korean War, Al Martinez dispatched letters almost daily to his young bride Joanne. In battle, he experienced the worst that war can bring, and then he served as a combat correspondent and as the writer and editor of his regimental newsletter, the Ridgerunner. His letters home capture his experiences eloquently and with depth of understanding as they express the dangers, hardships, fear, friendships, and even humor of life at the front.  His vivid, often humorous pen-and-ink drawings portray scenes from the front lines. 

Al Martinez (1929-2015) served in the Marine reserves while a student at San Francisco State College, where he worked on the campus newspaper, the Golden Gater. He was called to active duty in September 1950 then served in Korea for a year beginning in April 1951. After returning home, he began his career as a journalist in Oakland.  He joined the Los Angeles Times in 1971 and became a featured columnist there in 1984.  For the next 23 years, his columns earned many awards, including three shared Pulitzer Prizes and a National Headliner Award for the best column in the U.S. 

Sara S. “Sue” Hodson is the retired curator of literary manuscripts for The Huntington Library. A Fellow of the Society of American Archivists and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of California Archivists, she continues to write and speak often on literary and archival subjects. Her previous books are Jack London, Photographer (University of Georgia Press) and Jack London: One Hundred Years a Writer    (Huntington Library), both co-written with Jeanne Campbell Reesman.  She acquired Al Martinez’ papers for The Huntington and curated a major exhibition about him titled “Al Martinez: Bard of L.A.” I Promise You I’ll Be Home was published by McFarland & Co. in March, 2024.