In a special Veterans Day feature, three veterans share their experiences in the military and the paths their lives have taken since.
Hometown Headlines spoke with them about their time in uniform, the relationships they formed and the lessons they carried into civilian life.
For Emma Eckart, military service meant flying Navy helicopters over the Pacific Ocean in pursuit of drug traffickers and participating in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
For Jess Fry, it meant caring for patients in critical situations and helping train the next generation of soldiers.
And for Josh Bleill, it meant surviving an explosion in Iraq, losing both legs and facing a long road to recovery.
Emma Eckart: From Naval Aviation to the Classroom
Emma Eckart's military career began with an ROTC scholarship at Marquette University. She eventually became a Navy helicopter pilot, flying missions during deployments that took her across the Pacific Ocean and to the Middle East.
During counter-drug operations, her helicopter helped locate and track boats suspected of transporting cocaine, allowing Navy ships to intercept them.
She also participated in relief operations following Hurricane Katrina, flying over devastated areas and assisting with searches for people who might have been stranded.
As a woman in naval aviation, Eckart was often one of only a few women aboard her ships. On one deployment, she recalls just three women serving aboard the vessel.
She said the experience brought pressure to prove herself, but it also helped her develop confidence as a leader.
Today, Eckart is a professor, drawing on the hands-on teaching experience she gained while instructing Navy flight students.
She also hopes her experiences encourage younger generations, particularly girls, to pursue opportunities they might not otherwise consider.
Jess Fry: A Continued Commitment to Helping Others
Jess Fry grew up in Hagerstown and joined the Army after high school, initially drawn by opportunities to travel and pursue an education.
She served eight years and ten months, working as a medic and respiratory therapist before becoming a drill sergeant at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Her work in military medicine taught her the importance of trusting those around her, particularly when caring for critically ill or injured patients.
Fry also helped train women entering military career fields that had historically been closed to them.
Today, she is executive director of Brighter Path in Cambridge City, where her lifelong interest in horses has become part of her work helping others.
Through the organization's Warrior's Way program, veterans and first responders can spend time with horses, connect with others and find support.
Fry said transitioning to civilian life can be difficult, particularly when veterans no longer have the close relationships and shared routines they experienced in the military.
Warrior's Way provides an opportunity to rebuild some of those connections.
Josh Bleill: Recovery, Resilience and a New Purpose
Josh Bleill was 27 when he joined the Marine Corps, inspired by the September 11 attacks and his family's history of military service.
In 2006, while deployed to Fallujah, Iraq, he suffered catastrophic injuries in an improvised explosive device explosion.
Bleill lost both legs and spent approximately two years recovering, undergoing surgeries and learning to walk with prosthetics.
But the emotional challenges of recovery were significant, too.
He recalled becoming angry and depressed, withdrawing from friends and family before recognizing that he needed help.
"It was hard as a Marine being injured to humble myself to ask for help," Bleill said. "But as soon as I did, I realized that help was there."
He credits his faith, family and fellow injured service members with helping him through recovery.
Bleill later worked with the Indianapolis Colts and began sharing his experiences through motivational speaking. He also wrote a book about his recovery and the people who helped him along the way.
He continues to encourage others facing difficult circumstances, emphasizing the importance of reaching out rather than trying to handle everything alone.
Beyond the Uniform
While their military careers followed different paths, Eckart, Fry and Bleill each described the importance of the relationships they formed during service.
For Eckart, that included mentors who encouraged her as a young officer. For Fry, it was the trust and camaraderie of fellow soldiers. And for Bleill, it was the support of other injured service members during his recovery.
Their experiences offer a personal look at military service and the lives veterans build afterward.
Watch the full interviews with Emma Eckart, Jess Fry and Josh Bleill below.
