The American Who Died For Biafra

By Okoro Ukata

August Martin:

He was the first African American to pilot a commercial aircraft. His middle name was Harvey, born in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, a professional teacher taught her at home until he was 13. After which he went to Secondary School and also graduated from the University.
August Martin washed airplanes at the Oakland Flying Service to earn money that enabled him to train on how to fly.

He completed his training at the University of California, civilian pilot training program. He later joined the U.S. Army around 1943 and perfected in the flying of the B-25 twin-engine bomber and various other ranges of advanced fighter jets. 

He later left the army and went back to commercial piloting where he flew for Buffalo Skylines, El Al Airlines, and World Airways. He was the first black captain of an LI.S. at Seaboard World Airlines.

August Martin was convinced that the war being waged against Biafrans was unjust and took it upon himself to use his airplane on a Mercy Mission to come drop food for the millions of starving Biafran women and children dying because of the British sponsored air and sea blockade against the Biafrans. 

Despite all threats from the Nigerian government, August Martin continued to single-handedly fly food and other supplies to the Biafrans. 

But unfortunately, in 1968 he was killed while trying to land his aircraft in a rainstorm at Uli, though some account had it that his aircraft was shot down and crashed by the Nigerian troops. He died June 30, 1968, and all Biafrans remember August Harvey Martin this day, as one of the heroes of the Biafran people.

Today, a school in New York still bears his name in honor of this great African-American whose legacy can never be forgotten by the people he died helping: The massacred people of Biafra. 

He was born August 31, 1919.



Opening image: August Harvey Martin. Photo credit: Geni