In Memory OfSGT Mark R. Ecker II

SGT Mark R. Ecker II, 23, U.S. Army, born November 7, 1985, passed away unexpectedly July 10, 2009. He served two tours in Ramadi, Iraq, with the 2nd ID 1-9 Infantry Unit “Manchu,” earning a Purple Heart for severe injuries sustained from an explosive. Mark, a single man, was known for his incredible resilience, marching in his hometown’s Fourth of July parade on prosthetic legs after his injuries. His legacy lives on through a memorial wall in East Longmeadow, MA, and IBM’s Arabic-English translation technology developed in his memory. Rest easy, Hero! Til Valhalla, Brother!