Martin joined the United States Navy in 1940. In November 1942, he was one of a few enlisted sailors from Naval Air Technical Training Center Norman, Oklahoma selected for pre-flight training with the opportunity to earn a commission as an officer and become a naval aviator."14 Enlisted Men Will Be flying Cadets", The Norman Transcript, Norman, Oklahoma, volume 54, number 114, November 22, 1942, page 12. In April 1943, he was transferred to pre-flight training at the CAA War Training Service School in Natchitoches, Louisiana."Metalsmith Goes to Pre-Flight School", The Bull Horn, Norman, Oklahoma, volume 1, number 21, April 1, 1943, page 3. At the time of his transfer, he was an Aviation Metalsmith 2nd Class and served as the Aviation Metalsmith School storekeeper. In November 1943, he was transferred to Navy-Preflight School in Athens, Georgia."Our Fighting Men", Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, 55th year, number 38, June 25, 1944, page 7, section 3. In June 1944, he was assigned to at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida after completing primary flight training in Dallas, Texas."Our Fighting Men", Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, 54th year, number 173, November 7, 1943, page 5, section 2. He served as a fighter pilot in the Pacific Theater of the war.Aaker, Everett. "Dewey Martin" biography, Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary, McFarland & Company, Inc., Jefferson, North Carolina, 2017, pages 268-270.
