Martin & Marfa, Texas
Army Air Base, Giant, Gliders, Lady Bird, Movies & the Marfa Lights
Martin was born in Marfa, Texas (the facade, right, from the filming of Giant was visible from the highway to El Paso for many years).
He was born in the Marfa, Texas clinic (pictured above).
Martin's parents chose to live in Alpine while Martin's Dad was stationed at the Marfa Army airbase and they returned to live in Alpine permanently after a brief return to Ohio after World War II. Due to a dispute between 2 Alpine doctors (one not allowing the other to use his facility, Martin's Mom and Dad went to Marfa where martin was born.
James Dean in front of Giant facade just West of Marfa, Texas. It was pretty exciting when the movie business came to the area. The house Reata, gradually fell a part and even the frame has not been visible for years.
Martin lived in Alpine, however he was involved in many events and for awhile worked out of the Presidio County courthouse in Marfa.
The Marfa Army Airbase became a destination for the Trans Texas Airways. Martin's Grandmother flew out of the airport on her way and back to Scotland in the early 1950's. In September 1966 President Lyndon Johnson's wife Lady Bird Johnson, flew into the old airport in the middle
Martin's Mom and Dad were the post card distributors for the Alpine, Marfa, Ft. Stockton area.
Marfa, Presidio County Court house where Martin worked for the Texas Department of Public Welfare in 1969 and 1970.
Ollie Theophilus, Denver 1942
After completing Basic Training in Denver, CO, Martin's Dad was stationed at the Marfa Army Air Base where he was a Link Trainer instructor.
View more pages from MAAB booklet view UK video
Marfa Army Air Base Marfacts - more
In the mid 1960's 2 Mitchell B-25 or B-26 Marauders showed up at the decommissioned Marfa Army Air base. Lee McCollum and Martin looked around them and at one point were able to look through one of them that remained open for a long time. We were told they were bound to Mexico. These were in the old large main hanger before it was removed.
Martin spent a lot of time at the old air base where his Dad had been stationed. It was fun going through all the boxes of all military equipment that laid around. There were stories about a large underground cache of retired military items, however we never made any serious attempt to find them.
Lee and Martin did chase rabbits up and down the runaways on many occasions.
In 1967 Fritz Kahl brought the International Glider Championships to the old Marfa Army Airbase. View Martin's 1967 Marfa Glider meet movie
stills from Martin's movie of the 1967 Glider meet in Marfa
Martin's shots of gliders near the old Marfa Army Air Base hanger during the 1967 International Glider Meet
Sul Ross Band preparing to play for Lady Bird Johnson's arrival at the Marfa Army Airbase to attend the Fort Davis National Historic Site dedication. Tony Bronze, Carol & Martin in center of photo.
Mom at Fort Davis dedication talking to Lady Bird Johnson. Mom gave Lady Bird some agate from the area.
One of Martin's interesting on-location jobs
occurred August 4, 1969 at the Thunderbird Motel in Marfa, Texas.
Two brothers Hector and Jesus Flores from Ojinaga, Mexico were hired by Pepper Brown to provide some tracks for the background of a movie Pepper was producing.
Martin set up a Concertone 800 in one of the motel rooms and miked the voices and guitars. The recording took place while the two players sat on the edge of the beds. As midnight neared, the players realized they needed to be back across the border by midnight.
One of Presidio County Commissioners was attending the session offered his car for Martin to drive them the 60 miles to the border crossing. It was a fast trip, however they didn't make it. The player s said " no problem, my uncle is the guard."
Additional tracks were recorded at Highland Sound's studio in Alpine on October 27, 1969.
Play Malaguena from these sessions.
Working out of the Presidio County Courthouse (only a couple of blocks from where he was born) Martin's office was just off the JP's courtroom.
His co-workers were Lupe Hernandez (pic right) whose family lived along the Big Bend River Road. Her family would alternately host folks passing by that include the US Cavalry, Poncho Villa and the Mexican army. View movie from that area taken in 1969.
Martin's other co-worker was Georgia Kahl whose husband was Fritz Kahl, a pilot (first stationed at the Marfa Army Air Base during WW II.who was instrumental in bringing the glider events to the area.
Martin, Fran & Bruce riding motorcycles through Candelaria, Presidio County- Big Bend
Martin going through canyon South of Marfa toward Candelaria Mazda & trailer
Jack O'Donnell with his family in Marfa after taking position with US Border Patrol • view video from 1967 while Jack was a Highway Patrolman in Alpine. Jack and Martin worked together while Martin was a Brewster County Deputy assigned to Sul Ross State College. Jack was great about riding with Martin on the night shift and having Martin accompany him on patrol in the Tx DPS patrol car (pictured below).
Marfa Lights phenomenon UFOs?
Martin's Mom was fascinated by the Marfa Lights from the time she and his father arrived in three Big Bend area. Judith M. Brueske, Ph.D. dedicated her book The Marfa Lights to Martin's Mom, Peg Theophlilus.
Excerpt from Judith M. Brueske's book "The Marfa Lights" 
In 1982 Martin, his Mom, Peg Theophilus and Sherry Thorne drove down the old ranch road that was open and ran down the West side of the old Marfa Army Air Base. As we drove South on the dirt road, a digital car clock Martin had given his Dad, flipped back an hour. We turn around and went back to the highway, re-set the clock, and drove down the rode again. Again the clock flipped an hour. Pretty neat!
In 1986, Ken, Chris & Martin at old Marfa Army Air Base having just finished walking the old runways at Midnight. The actual Marfa Lights are in the background of the picture. Picture was taken directly South from the old Main Gate at about 1:00 am using a long time exposure.
Dee and Donna's presidio County Texas home and land South of Marfa is near where the Marfa Lights are spotted. These photos were taken July 2005
Not far from Dee and Donna's property, the Santa fe railroad winds its way from near the Marfa Army Airbase to presidio, Texas. While attending Sul Ross University, one of Martin's best friends was Louis "Corky" Thornton from McCamey, Texas. Corky's Dad managed the miles and miles of Santa fe tracks through this area. He had warned Santa Fe that rocks slides were going to cause an accident if they didn't complete some serious work on the cliffs near the tracks. Sure enough in the late 1960's a train derailed and we joined Corky and his Dad to view the damage. View video
Cathedral Mountain, Alpine TX 2002
In 1970 Universal Studios shot the opening of their new movie "The Andromeda Strain" in Shafter,Presidio County, Texas. At that time Martin was working for the State of Texas and responsible for services in Presidio, Brewster and Jeff Davis Counties. Martin took the movies and some of the pictures in this section. He also had to stay behind a house where he'd just completed an interview when the helicopters began coming in for one of the shots.
Picture of church (left) and picture of church from movie (right)
View Martin's movie while driving around Shafter
Scene above from 1971 movie "The Andromeda Strain"
Helicopter for the film
Universal Studios bus in Shafter, Texas
NBC Lift truck in Shafter, Texas for shooting the 1971 release of The Andromeda Strain. Picture right is from the 1890's of the Shafter mines
Shafter mines in the 1890's