A Green Beret who was nearly drummed out of the military for beating a child rapist in Afghanistan plans to name his son after the congressman who helped save his career.
“I am extremely thankful for your help over the course of the last nine months and giving me the opportunity to continue to serve,” Sergeant 1st Class Charles Martland wrote to Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., in a letter obtained by Army Times.
Martland’s wife is expecting twin boys; the second will be named after the California Republican. Hunter became a public advocate for Martland last year after learning that the Green Beret was being kicked out of the military for assaulting an Afghan commander who was sexually abusing a child on base. Hunter urged Army brass to retain Martland and introduced legislation named after the soldier that bans child abuse on U.S. military installations.
“If it was not for your leadership, my career would be over,” Martland wrote. “My wife and I can never thank you enough.”
Hunter said “it’s a tremendous honor” to have a namesake in the Martland family. “His children have a strong role model in their father,” he told the Washington Examiner. “I’m truly inspired by SGT Martland and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have taken up his case, which was about justice for not just SGT Martland, but the victims of abuse that he stood to defend.”
