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Martin was born and raised in Westfield, New Jersey. After completing his education, he was employed at Westinghouse Electric and contributed to various engineering projects. Prior to enlisting in 1942, he married Inez Jockers, and they had their first of two sons. Because of his engineering experience he was assigned to a Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees) with the rank of Warrant Officer (WO). His initial training was performed in Virginia and then he was stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Following this, he deployed to Salcombe in the south of England. It was here that WO Vincentsen was actively involved in the construction of an amphibious base and shallow water pontoon boats. This facility and the boats were utilized in active support of the Allied troops invasion of Normandy Beach in 1944. The supplies and water provided by the base in Salcombe were an important artery in the overall supply chain. During this time, he was promoted to Lieutenant JG and was awarded a Naval Commendation Medal.

After honorably completing his active duty in 1945, Martin returned to Westfield and built a thriving construction business. Eventually, his two sons also joined the business before branching off into different ventures. He remained physically active throughout his life and was an avid golfer and fisherman. He and a close friend, Earl Moore, built a home in Pennsylvania at the Forest Lake Club and hunted and fished together throughout their friendship. Earl had been the President of Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) and upon his retirement was given the bell from the last ferry CRRNJ ran from their Liberty Park terminal to midtown Manhattan. To this day the bell is used at Forest Lake to signify when golfers are teeing off at the golf course.

While Martin rarely spoke of his time in the Navy, he displayed great pride in Jock, his first son, and his service as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps and his tour in Vietnam. He also had the pleasure of seeing his grandson, David, serve in the United States Navy during the Gulf War as a nuclear engineer aboard the carrier Enterprise, attaining the rank of Petty Officer 2. Three generations of Vincentsens have served our country well.