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Remembering Mark Ecker

by Bill Dusty

Retired Army Sergeant Mark Ecker died on Friday in an automobile accident near Lawrence, MA. The Iraq War veteran had been seriously injured in combat, losing both legs below the knees in a bomb blast, before returning home to an outpouring of support from family, friends and strangers alike.

I first met Mark at a fundraiser held for him at the Springfield Lodge of Elks back in the summer of 2007 (click here for that). Since that time, I’ve run into him a couple of times and talked with him. He was a first class guy, very down-to-earth and polite to those who approached him.

At the Elks fundraiser, I asked him if he was tired yet of all the well-wishing and handshaking. He thought about it for a second, then said, “Yeah,” before quickly adding, “But I know they all mean well, and I really appreciate it a lot.”

Sgt. Mark Ecker, right, at a fundraiser held at the Springfield Lodge of Elks.

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Sometime afterward, I ran into Mark at a local nightclub. I said “hello” to him and sat down next to him. We chatted for a bit, and he mentioned to me that the doctors had told him that his life would probably be shorter because of his injuries. I remember saying to him, “Don’t listen to what the doctors say,” and I said he should just live his life and not worry about what might happen decades from now. Looking back, I don’t think I really needed to tell him that. Mark was a happy-go-lucky kind of person – at least that was his public face. And if what he went through in Iraq didn’t keep him down, I’m sure very little else would.

According to the Republican article that came out following Friday’s car accident, Mark once told East Longmeadow Selectman James Driscoll that if he had it to do all over again – serving in the Army, going to Iraq, and getting injured there – he would do it all over again if it would help the U.S. succeed there. I know a lot of people in these parts cannot understand that, or maybe think he was just saying that to sound patriotic. But Mark didn’t have to say anything to be patriotic. He was already a patriot. And he showed it through his actions – both in Iraq and after he returned home.

Mark Ecker was a great guy who really inspired me to be a better person. My heart goes out to his family, who have already had to endure so much.

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Posted by Bill Dusty on Jul 11th, 2009 and filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.