Ottawa University is mourning the loss of Sgt. Glen Martinez, a 2000 graduate, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq on Friday, May 2. Martinez was in Iraq for a second tour of duty since enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 2004.

After graduating high school in Monte Vista, Colorado, Martinez came to OU on a baseball and academic scholarship. He was vice president of the Math Club and was a member of the O Club. He earned a degree in mathematics at Ottawa University and went on to earn a master's degree in surveying. Martinez had also begun work on a third degree.

While training at Camp Pendleton in California, Martinez met his wife, Melissa Sue (pictured). She is also a Marine sergeant and was serving in Fallujah.

Martinez was buried on Tuesday in the Colorado State Veterans Center in Monte Vista.

Ottawa University sends its deepest condolences to the Martinez family.

Click on the links below to read newspaper articles of Martinez from his hometown and surrounding areas.

From the Rocky Mountain News.

From the Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado)

From the Denver Post. 

Martinez will be buried with full military honors on Tuesday, May 13, in the Colorado State Veterans Center cemetery in Monte Vista. Funeral services will be held earlier in the day at the Monte Vista High School gymnasium. 

Ottawa University sends its deepest condolences to the Martinez family. OU will host a special time of rememberance and honoring Martinez on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. with directed prayer and fellowship led by Rev. Erika Marksbury. The Meditation Chapel will be open on Monday and Tuesday for individuals to stop by for quiet reflection and a notebook will be available for writing memories that will be sent to the Martinez family.


The following a reprint of an article about Glen Martinez that appeared in the Winter/Spring 2005 edition of the Ottawa University Alumni News & Notes.

The thought of going to war doesn't scare him. "If it did, I wouldn't have enlisted in the military." Glen Martinez, a baseball player at Ottawa University until his graduation in 2000, elected to enlist in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) because of its "first-in, last-out" mentality. If he goes to war, he doesn't want to miss anything. He wants to be the first one there and the last one to leave.

Martinez has a bachelor's degree in math from Ottawa University, as well as an applied science degree from Westwood College of Technology. He worked with an engineering firm and a surveying firm before deciding to enlist in April 2004.

A few factors pushed Martinez toward his decision to enlist. He was greatly influenced by Pat Tillman, a professional football player who turned down a $3.6 million contract from the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the United States Army in 2002. Tillman perished while protecting his country in April 2004. "Pat Tillman was a huge motivator for me," said Martinez "I also seemed to consistently hear people say how bad America is... how everything is so bad. I got sick of hearing that. We live in the best place in the world. American is so great because of the people in the service." After seeing a commercial advertising the USMC, Martinez made the decision to enlist.

Martinez went to boot camp in October 2004 and graduated on January 14, 2005. He completed a three-week course in war combat, becoming familiar with the M203 grenade launcher, the M240 machine gun, squad rushes, and infantry - his OU pitching days when he was affectionately known as "Hodji" was a distant memory. Following boot camp, Martinez was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri where he underwent Military Occupational Service (MOS) training. During the 74-day training, Martinez learned how to drive forklifts, graders and front-end loaders, enabling him to assist in clean-ups and the breaking down of buildings.

Joining the USMC at age 28, Martinez was perceived as the "Grand Old Man" by the men in his squad, who averaged in age from 18-20 years old. For that reason, he was looked up to as a leader. Martinez was a guide in boot camp, a platoon leader and squad leader at Marine Combat Training (MCT) school.

Martinez was a leader at OU as well. He was pitcher for the Braves baseball team all four years and served as vice president of the Math Club as a senior. "My experiences at OU helped to mold me into who I am today," recalled Martinez. "Because of the smaller class sizes and atmosphere, you naturally have to work harder. I feel that I am a hard worker and have developed a good character as a result of my experiences at Ottawa University."

It wasn't just OU that helped shape Martinez into the man he is today. Both of his grandfathers served in World War II. He is proud, and maybe even a little anxious, to follow in their footsteps.