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thedrifter
05-23-07, 06:24 PM
‘Clean, fresh everything’
After spending seven months in the sands of Iraq, local man gets hero’s welcome
Nancy Hastings, Staff Writer


Seeing trees, grass and smelling the fresh air are some of the things Marine Brandon Eckelberry longed for after leaving these simple pleasures to help fight the war in Iraq.


Eckelberry, 24, the son of Jerry and Nancy Eckelberry of Hillsdale, left a year ago to serve in the 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Division with the Charlie Company out of Lansing.

After training for five months in California for his tour, Eckelberry spent seven months in Iraq: six in combat and one of “moving around.”

He returned to family and friends April 29 and has been adjusting to his former civilian life.

Reveling in a homecoming he appreciates, Eckel–berry’s family and friends threw him a party Saturday at the Daniels’ home (in–laws) with all the things he missed while gone: Being surrounded by family and friends, good food and “clean, fresh everything.”

That included a bed that wasn’t filled with sand and a house that didn’t smell like Marines.

“Besides family, I missed the simple things like a couch, TV, and a bed,” Eckelberry said.

Seeing his wife, Michelle, and 2 year–old son, Draydon, again was described as “a relief.

“I didn’t have to worry about if I was coming home everyday,” he said.

Eckelberry married Michelle a year before heading out to the “unknown, which is more time than what some of the guys had before leaving.”

A 2002 graduate of Hillsdale High School, Eckelberry joined the Marines in 2003. A carpenter by trade, he worked for Braman Roofing during his junior year in high school and during the summers as well as after graduation.

“I got engaged during boot camp and left a year after that,” he said.

While serving in the infantry he was a “SAW gunner” (squad automatic weapon) described as a “light machine gun.”

Being an athlete in high school somewhat prepared him, he mused.

“Although nothing really prepares you for (combat), playing football in high school got me in shape and helped me develop a good mental attitude for what was ahead,” he said, noting he played tight end and defensive end. “In training they break you down and that makes you stronger,” he added.

Being able to see his son Draydon turn 3 in August is something he’s looking forward to. For Michelle, having her husband home where she can communicate with him daily is a treasure. While he was away, communication was sporadic, going from talking daily to once a week and then not being able to talk for three to four months.

“There were a lot of sleepless nights,” Michelle Eckelberry said. “Several of us Marine wives stuck together and called each other to see if anybody had heard anything. It was almost easier to not talk, like the adage of no news is good news.”Meanwhile, overseas thousands of miles away, Eckelberry was coping with a variety of hardships including hot weather, a lack of sleep, change of food and language barriers, making his job all that more difficult.

“Because of the language barrier we knew just enough to get by and they (Iraqis) knew enough to do what we wanted them to do,” Eckelberry said. “Interpreters were spread thin and couldn’t be sent out with every patrol. They were sent on the big missions.”

As for the weather, their winter was mild, he said. But, it would rain for days, making muddy conditions difficult for travel.

“It was in the 100s, easy” Eckelberry said. “Some days it would be 120 or 130 degrees.”

Eckelberry said his area of operations was in the city of Falusia for three months while the other three months were south of the city.

While care packages were much appreciated, many lived off canned food, not getting the proper nutrition, he said.

“But having canned food is much better than living off MREs (meals ready to eat) the whole time,” he added.

Eckelberry said he is proud of what the troops are doing, though he doesn’t care for the attention many pour on.

“I wouldn’t want anybody to hold me up or put me on a pedestal,” he said. “But, I would like to thank all those who prayed for me.”

As for the future, a carpentry job sounds good to him. And if he doesn’t get called back to serve another term, that suits him just fine.

“I hope I don’t have to go back,” he said. “But, you can never be too sure. We’re ready at all times.”
This story was last modified: Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Ellie