Keith Martin (journalist)

In 1968, Martin was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and served 2 1/2 years while on active duty, which included being deployed to Vietnam and Cambodia from 1969 through 1970.^[1] He continued working in the Army Reserve and PA National Guard until he retired as a colonel and received a promotion to brigadier general.^[1]

Martin began his journalism career in 1977 as lead news anchor for WBRE in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.^[1]

He then left WBRE in 1980 and joined WGAL in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he was an anchor and reporter.^[2] He co-anchored the evening newscast, and mentored young WGAL journalists.^[1] Martin resigned from WGAL in 1990 after allegations of involvement in a campaign contributions scandal, for which he denied any illegal activity.^[3]

He returned to WBRE in 1990, where he once again became the main news anchor until 2003,^[1] when then-Governor Ed Rendell appointed him to serve as Pennsylvania's first director of homeland security based on his experience overseas.^[1][2] He then stepped down in 2005.

Martin died of a heart attack at age 75 on February 13, 2022, at his home in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.^[2]