Marine Gunnery Sgt Eckard was assigned to the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was killed while supporting combat operations. When Chris' family thinks about him as a young boy, they remember how much he wanted to be a Marine. He was a typical kid who rode bikes, played Little League ball and ran track in high school. He also liked to shoot pool and enjoyed dumb movies. In 1998, he graduated from St. Stephen's High School and joined the Army National Guard. But he never forgot his lifelong dream of being a Marine and made the decision to join on May 7, 2001. Chris started out as a combat engineer but became a specialist in IEDs, finishing at the top of his class. He pulled a total of four tours of duty in Iraq and was on his first tour in Afghanistan - in 2004 alone he decommissioned 240 bombs. Chris had a dangerous job but he was good at what he did – he was cool headed and always in control. In 2007, he took part in the Battle of Donkey Island near Ramadi and earned a Bronze Star nomination and awarded a Navy Commendation Medal for aiding a wounded teammate. He was due to come home soon and planned to change his career field to the classroom and teach other Marines about bombs. Friends and family remember what a loving and dedicated husband he was to Ashley, devoted father to their two sons and awesome friend Chris was. Hundreds came to his funeral and he was laid to rest not far from the woods where he once played.
Marine Gunnery Sgt Eckard was assigned to the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was killed while supporting combat operations. When Chris' family thinks about him as a young boy, they remember how much he wanted to be a Marine. He was a typical kid who rode bikes, played Little League ball and ran track in high school. He also liked to shoot pool and enjoyed dumb movies. In 1998, he graduated from St. Stephen's High School and joined the Army National Guard. But he never forgot his lifelong dream of being a Marine and made the decision to join on May 7, 2001. Chris started out as a combat engineer but became a specialist in IEDs, finishing at the top of his class. He pulled a total of four tours of duty in Iraq and was on his first tour in Afghanistan - in 2004 alone he decommissioned 240 bombs. Chris had a dangerous job but he was good at what he did – he was cool headed and always in control. In 2007, he took part in the Battle of Donkey Island near Ramadi and earned a Bronze Star nomination and awarded a Navy Commendation Medal for aiding a wounded teammate. He was due to come home soon and planned to change his career field to the classroom and teach other Marines about bombs. Friends and family remember what a loving and dedicated husband he was to Ashley, devoted father to their two sons and awesome friend Chris was. Hundreds came to his funeral and he was laid to rest not far from the woods where he once played.
Inscription
GYSGT US MARINE CORPS
N&MCM PH
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM
Family Members
Parents
