LOCAL HERO | ERIC MARTS
Original publish date: July-August 2013
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: BOBBIE MARTS
www.yumpu.com/user/ thegoodlife
Where is he now? Retired Army Master Sergeant Eric Marts has lived a lot of life since his story was published in July-August 2013. Through Home for Our Troops, Marts and his wife were gifted a beautiful, mortgagefree smart home. The increased space and incredible technology have proven life-changing for Marts. Marts and Corporal Deacon were invited to the 2014 State of the Union Address followed by several more trips to the White House to advocate on behalf of veterans. Marts strives to show that despite being hurt, he (and other veterans) can accomplish challenging endeavors. As such, he’s kayaked the Yellowstone River, downhill skied, and completed elements of the Mountain Phase of training for U.S. Army Rangers which includes repelling down waterfalls and tackling a sheer, granite-faced mountain (Mt. Yonah). Furthermore, Marts and his wife have established the Sergeant’s Time Foundation to host retreats in Park Rapids, MN where they envision veterans and non-veterans gathering to help one another through difficult times. Corporal Deacon has since passed away though he left an imprint on individuals on Capitol Hill and beyond. Marts is excited to be working with Meadow, his new seeing-eye dog. 6 / THE GOOD LIFE
ERIC MARTS A Hero of the Heartland WRITTEN BY: DANETTE NICOLOFF PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
Persevering to Help Others “On your feet … at ease.” This is how retired Army Master Sergeant Eric Marts opens his radio show every Saturday morning on 970 WDAY AM. During the hour-long program called “Heroes of the Heartland,” Marts features area service men and women so they can tell their stories. He wants people to know what soldiers overcome and conquer when they serve. He said most who serve, “Are busy telling other people that they are heroes, but won’t accept the title themselves.” That’s especially true for Marts himself. His Story Marts spent 20 years in the Army, 16 of which were spent active duty. He was a Gulf War veteran and went back again with the 34th Infantry Division when the United States invaded Iraq after 9-11. In May of 2006 his unit was near Fallujah, Iraq when he and his men encountered a roadside bomb. Although he was several yards away, the explosion was so powerful it knocked him on his back. He got up, shook it off, and went back to work.
