On June 14, 1969, six year-old Dennis Martin, his two brothers, and a cousin were playing a fun game of hide-and-go-seek as his father and grandfather talked nearby in the grassy area of Spence Field, a meadow which serves as a "crossroads" for several trails in the higher elevations of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.
Three boys went one way, little Dennis opted to hide behind a bush. A few minutes later, the three boys jumped from their hiding places and frightened the grown men. It was supposed to be a joke, but the pounding of the hearts would never subside.
Dennis Martin, just six days shy of his seventh birthday, was nowhere to be found. He hasn't been seen since despite the diligent efforts of law enforcement, the National Guard, Green Berets from Fort Bragg in nearby North Carolina, and thousands of volunteers whose search lasted through mid-September 1969.
49 years have passed and the little boy is believed to be dead for a long time ago.βΌSon of William and Violet Martin. Brother of Douglas, Sarah, and Michael.
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Disappeared on June 14, 1969 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee at the age of six. The search effort was the most extensive in the Park's history, involving approximately 1,400 searchers and a 56-square mile area.
Dennis was visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along with his father, grandfather and older brother on Father's Day weekend in 1969. They hiked from Cades Cove to Russell Field and camped overnight. The next day, they hiked to Spence Field near the Appalachian Trail, where they planned to spend the night. Martin disappeared at 16:30 while playing hide-and-seek with his brother and other children; he was last seen by his father going behind a bush to hide, intending on surprising the other children when they walked past. After not seeing him for about five minutes, his father became concerned and began searching for him. His father ran down the trail, until he was sure he couldn't have gotten any farther. After several hours, they sought help from National Park Service rangers.
Search efforts, including a separate search by the National Guard and Special Forces found no trace. The search was abandoned on June 29, after a last search. The search was officially closed down on September 14, 1969.
Three boys went one way, little Dennis opted to hide behind a bush. A few minutes later, the three boys jumped from their hiding places and frightened the grown men. It was supposed to be a joke, but the pounding of the hearts would never subside.
Dennis Martin, just six days shy of his seventh birthday, was nowhere to be found. He hasn't been seen since despite the diligent efforts of law enforcement, the National Guard, Green Berets from Fort Bragg in nearby North Carolina, and thousands of volunteers whose search lasted through mid-September 1969.
49 years have passed and the little boy is believed to be dead for a long time ago.βΌSon of William and Violet Martin. Brother of Douglas, Sarah, and Michael.
------
Disappeared on June 14, 1969 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee at the age of six. The search effort was the most extensive in the Park's history, involving approximately 1,400 searchers and a 56-square mile area.
Dennis was visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along with his father, grandfather and older brother on Father's Day weekend in 1969. They hiked from Cades Cove to Russell Field and camped overnight. The next day, they hiked to Spence Field near the Appalachian Trail, where they planned to spend the night. Martin disappeared at 16:30 while playing hide-and-seek with his brother and other children; he was last seen by his father going behind a bush to hide, intending on surprising the other children when they walked past. After not seeing him for about five minutes, his father became concerned and began searching for him. His father ran down the trail, until he was sure he couldn't have gotten any farther. After several hours, they sought help from National Park Service rangers.
Search efforts, including a separate search by the National Guard and Special Forces found no trace. The search was abandoned on June 29, after a last search. The search was officially closed down on September 14, 1969.
On June 14, 1969, six year-old Dennis Martin, his two brothers, and a cousin were playing a fun game of hide-and-go-seek as his father and grandfather talked nearby in the grassy area of Spence Field, a meadow which serves as a "crossroads" for several trails in the higher elevations of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.
Three boys went one way, little Dennis opted to hide behind a bush. A few minutes later, the three boys jumped from their hiding places and frightened the grown men. It was supposed to be a joke, but the pounding of the hearts would never subside.
Dennis Martin, just six days shy of his seventh birthday, was nowhere to be found. He hasn't been seen since despite the diligent efforts of law enforcement, the National Guard, Green Berets from Fort Bragg in nearby North Carolina, and thousands of volunteers whose search lasted through mid-September 1969.
49 years have passed and the little boy is believed to be dead for a long time ago.βΌSon of William and Violet Martin. Brother of Douglas, Sarah, and Michael.
------
Disappeared on June 14, 1969 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee at the age of six. The search effort was the most extensive in the Park's history, involving approximately 1,400 searchers and a 56-square mile area.
Dennis was visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along with his father, grandfather and older brother on Father's Day weekend in 1969. They hiked from Cades Cove to Russell Field and camped overnight. The next day, they hiked to Spence Field near the Appalachian Trail, where they planned to spend the night. Martin disappeared at 16:30 while playing hide-and-seek with his brother and other children; he was last seen by his father going behind a bush to hide, intending on surprising the other children when they walked past. After not seeing him for about five minutes, his father became concerned and began searching for him. His father ran down the trail, until he was sure he couldn't have gotten any farther. After several hours, they sought help from National Park Service rangers.
Search efforts, including a separate search by the National Guard and Special Forces found no trace. The search was abandoned on June 29, after a last search. The search was officially closed down on September 14, 1969.
Three boys went one way, little Dennis opted to hide behind a bush. A few minutes later, the three boys jumped from their hiding places and frightened the grown men. It was supposed to be a joke, but the pounding of the hearts would never subside.
Dennis Martin, just six days shy of his seventh birthday, was nowhere to be found. He hasn't been seen since despite the diligent efforts of law enforcement, the National Guard, Green Berets from Fort Bragg in nearby North Carolina, and thousands of volunteers whose search lasted through mid-September 1969.
49 years have passed and the little boy is believed to be dead for a long time ago.βΌSon of William and Violet Martin. Brother of Douglas, Sarah, and Michael.
------
Disappeared on June 14, 1969 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee at the age of six. The search effort was the most extensive in the Park's history, involving approximately 1,400 searchers and a 56-square mile area.
Dennis was visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along with his father, grandfather and older brother on Father's Day weekend in 1969. They hiked from Cades Cove to Russell Field and camped overnight. The next day, they hiked to Spence Field near the Appalachian Trail, where they planned to spend the night. Martin disappeared at 16:30 while playing hide-and-seek with his brother and other children; he was last seen by his father going behind a bush to hide, intending on surprising the other children when they walked past. After not seeing him for about five minutes, his father became concerned and began searching for him. His father ran down the trail, until he was sure he couldn't have gotten any farther. After several hours, they sought help from National Park Service rangers.
Search efforts, including a separate search by the National Guard and Special Forces found no trace. The search was abandoned on June 29, after a last search. The search was officially closed down on September 14, 1969.
