World War 2 veterans honored in Michigan's Capitol
Don Eckman of Lake Odessa served in the Army during World War 2.
(J. Scott Park | MLive.com)
LANSING, MI -- Don Eckman, 90, was working on a farm in Lake Odessa in 1944 when he volunteered to join the Army.
"Things just got to a point where I didn't want to farm, and my friends had all joined the services, so that's what I decided to do," he said during MLive's Michigan Honors event at the State Capitol Building.
"I thought I'd get into the [Army] Air Corps, but somehow I ended up in the infantry."
Eckman didn't end up in just any infantry platoon. His unit was led by Audie Murphy, one of the most decorated American combat soldiers in the war.
"I was with him the day he earned his Medal of Honor," Eckman said.
"There were about 21 or 22 of us in the plantoon, and in the wintertime six German tanks and about 120 men attacked us. We beat 'em, but it was a hard fight. We had the help of two fighter planes and some real good artillery, and we couldn't have won without them. That day will always live in my memory."
Eckman was also a decorated soldier, earning two Purple Hearts for being injured in combat. The first came when he was shot twice in the leg by a sniper during a battle. The second incident was more serious and led to his discharge from the Army.
"I was fighting at night and moving up along the Rhine River area, and I was hit by either an artillery or mortar round," he said.
"I spent the rest of my time in the Army in various hospitals until I recovered."
Ben Freed is a general assignments reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at benfreed@mlive.com and follow him on twitter at @BFreedinA2. He also answers the phone at 734-623-2528.