5 minute read
ERIC MARTS
Original publish date:
July-August 2013
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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.
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.
A few days later, he noticed the sight in his right eye seemed fuzzy, so he had it checked out by an Army doctor. He was told he would be sent to Germany for treatment. Marts refused. Not only did he refuse treatment but he talked his way back into combat. He told the doctor that regulations permitted him to stay if he had 50 percent of his vision. Marts said, “I had people to take care of. You don’t leave your men.”
Over the next several months, Marts encountered eight more explosions. Each time he got up and brushed himself off. He said, “You just don’t complain about getting knocked around when your buddy loses his legs.” What he didn’t realize, is that he had suffered many concussions that were damaging his optic nerves beyond repair.
By the fall of 2008 he had lost all vision in both eyes. He spent nine months in a rehab center for the blind in Illinois, where he learned to adapt to his new life. He was even elected the unofficial mayor of the facility. He said, “I act like it hasn’t affected my life. The more I act like it hasn’t affected my life the closer I am to normality.”
His Unlikely Career Path
Marts was career Army and wanted to achieve the rank of Sergeant Major. His goals were cut short when he lost his sight. He was forced to retire and found himself sitting on the couch feeling useless. He didn’t want to retire. He loved serving his country and felt an obligation to take care of soldiers.
One day while listening to the Jay Thomas show on 970 WDAY AM, Marts heard an interview with a veteran.
When asked what the good life means to him, he said, "I'm living it."
Thomas ended the conversation by saying he could talk to veterans all day. Marts knew a lot of veterans and thought if Thomas wanted people to interview he could hook him up. So he emailed Thomas letting him know just that. He had no idea that one email would change his life forever. Thomas called Marts and told him that he liked the idea of doing a show about veterans, and invited Marts to the station to pitch the idea. The next thing he knew he was a radio talk show host.
On his first show his guest didn’t show up. The rough start didn’t stop him from continuing on with his new career. With his trusty seeing eye dog Deacon or as he calls him “The Corporal” sitting next to him, Marts takes command of the microphone like he took command of his men while serving in Iraq. He uses the airwaves to tell the stories of those who served. He said, “There’s so much history out there that will never be known. The show isn’t about me it’s about them.” He also wants to set an example for the men and women who come back from war, “You are still viable. Move forward for the guys who didn’t come back.”
Adapt And Overcome
“Adapt and overcome” is a saying Marts uses, but they are also words he lives by. He has never lost his sense of humor. He heard his dog snoring and joked, “Just like a soldier. Give him 10 minutes and he will fall asleep.” He laughed as he told the story about when he was brought up to the stage at a function and was turning his head towards a voice asking him questions. He later found out the announcer was behind him and he was talking to a speaker.
Marts lives with no regrets. His wife Bobbie and their five children may disagree with his decision to stay and serve out his tour, but he said he would do it all again. He simply said, “It’s where I needed to be.” •
