On the night of 17 December 2000, Captain Marty Theer was taken from us in Fayetteville, North Carolina.Eleven days later, on a cold, clear day at the Academy we said goodbye as Marty was laid to rest with full military honors in his beloved home state.
During his years as a cadet, Marty was not a standout in the traditional sense. His grades were above average, but not such that would place him at the top of our class. While physically fit, he was not a flashy athlete. His military aptitude was also above average, but not such that he would find himself consistently named to the Commandant’s List.
But for the few of us who really knew him, Marty was truly a man among boys in his approach to living. While some of us readied ourselves to become officers and others just struggled to graduate, Marty prepared himself for life. He was never vindictive or acted out of anger, his treatment of the underclassmen was always fair and consistent – he was a textbook definition of the Golden Rule. Every day of the week he devoted himself to completing his homework so his weekends would be free to spend with his beloved Michelle. While his roommate suffered on two or three hours of sleep each night, Marty rarely failed to get his full eight hours and was much the wiser for it. He never let the stress of the Academy get to him, he just plodded on day-after-day until one day we woke up to find ourselves newly-minted Second Lieutenants. After graduation, he and Michelle were married in a beautiful June Week ceremony at the Cadet Chapel. In Michelle, Marty had the perfect match -- a true soulmate and life partner whom he dearly loved. Watching the two of them together reminded us all of the goodness of life.
Following pilot training at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, Marty was placed into the pilot bank.While many of us mourned his misfortune, Marty simply stood up, brushed himself off, and moved on, intent to make the best of his situation. Assigned to what was then Falcon AFB outside Colorado Springs, Marty put his Bachelor’s in space ops to work playing with satellites. Taking Master’s classes on the side, he earned an advanced degree in less than two years. Soon thereafter he was assigned to the 71 Rescue Squadron, first at Patrick AFB, Florida, and then at Moody AFB, Georgia. Despite their frequent and long-term separations -- Marty found himself spending more time deployed than he did at home while Michelle pursued her Master’s and then PhD in psychology -- they made the most of their time together. Scuba diving in the Caribbean, sport parachuting in Georgia, downhill skiing in the Rockies, and running an Alaskan summer marathon were just a few of the ways they lived their lives to the fullest. In 1999, Marty was assigned to the 2 Airlift Squadron at Pope AFB, North Carolina, while Michelle found an exciting position in a Fayetteville psychology practice. In their Christmas card that year, Marty commented that “Pope has provided a great change of pace for me and Michelle is happy with her new job. So, 2000 is looking good for both of us.”
Sadly, Marty would not live to see the new millenium. A former crewmember that had deployed and flown with Marty eulogized him by saying, “The officers are supposed to be our leaders. A leader must have the respect of his followers. He may obtain this by one of two ways: earning or demanding this respect. I tell you now that Capt Marty Theer earned the respect of the enlisted under him.” In the C-130 community, such words are the highest compliment a pilot can get from his enlisted crew.
For those of us close to him, part of us left this world when he left. Still, he left us all so much richer just for having him as a friend. Marty is gone, but we will never forget him. We love ya’ man -- just keep the light on for us. (Capt Kevin Quamme ‘91, Capt Toby Sernel ‘91, and Capt Chuck Tomko ‘91)