Relationships Talk

CENTRAL CITY — Two Central Nebraska veterans have very unique, yet very similar stories, and share more than their military background. They also happen to be married.

Eric and Heidi Erickson of Central City both served two decades or more in service to their country. Both saw time in Desert Storm, and Iraq during war time, and both are decorated veterans — each were given a Purple Heart. The couple also have three children.

For Eric, his 24-year military journey began in 1989 when he was active duty in the United States Air Force during Desert Storm. He said it was a security duty.

“I was at security camps along the Alaskan Pipeline, due to threats being made to it,” Eric said.

Eric served in Desert Storm from 1989 to 1992.

After he returned home, Eric stayed in the military, but served in the Army reserves from 1994 to 2008. From 2009 to 2011, he was in Nebraska Air Guard. He went back into Army reserves in 2012-2013, which was when he decided it was time to get out of the military.

Eric remembers how 2003 was a very busy year for his family.

“Heidi was activated in October, and I volunteered in December and was in Iraq by January 2004.”

He said he was home by March 2005.

The couple had many close family members around to raise their children while they were away serving their country.

Erickson said it was tough being away from his children.

“Our youngest, Nik, was 11 months old when we left overseas, and we returned in time to celebrate his third birthday.” Their oldest child, Nathan, was 8, and daughter Taylor was 5.

While serving in Iraq, Eric drove a semi-truck hauling an armored vehicle from place to place.

He served all over — from the Iraq-Turkey border to the Kuwait-Syria border.

While in Iraq, Eric was a truck driver and a combat life saver, a.k.a. a first responder.

“We had a medical bag and were able to help out. There was a boy once that had a toe that was worn raw, so I helped clean it up for him,” Eric said about a time when he had to help a local civilian boy with an injury.

Although he said it was hard for him being away from his kids, it was also hard being away from his wife, who also was serving, but in a different capacity, in a different area.

Erickson said he used technology and some creative thinking to let Heidi know he was thinking about her.

“We kept in contact through Yahoo Messenger on the computer.”

It was then he decided to leave “notes” to Heidi in different places.

“I always had spray paint with me, so I would spray-paint a message to Heidi, or write something with the kids’ names in it so she could see it later.”

She did see it later — with help from her fellow soldiers who would also point out the “notes” to her from Eric who had been there, weeks, or months before. These “secret messages” were on bridges, signs, roadways — anywhere Eric thought his bride would notice them.

Heidi said they did cross paths about once a month, or less at the beginning.

In the summer of 2004, something happened to both Eric and Heidi Erickson that could’ve easily ended their lives.

“I got hit in a vehicle-borne IED ambush in Mosul on Aug. 4, 2004. I came out OK,” Eric recalled.

Heidi got hit eight days later.

“I had a fuel truck with an IED blow up right next to us.” She ended up with facial cuts and mild burns.

Heidi was in a gunner transport truck and also served as a combat life saver. She was always lined up at the end of the convoy. She usually escorted convoys.

Both earned their Purple Heart from their respective incidents.

Eric was born and raised in Central City, played high school and college football, then decided the military was his career path. He married Heidi in April of 1995.

Heidi Erickson was also born and raised in Central City. She served in the Army reserves out of Hastings. She had served her country for 20 years exactly when she retired.

Her journey began in 1991 when she served six months in Germany during Desert Storm.

In 2003 she was sent to Fort Riley, Kan., for six months, then sent to Missouri, then to Iraq until 2004. At this point, she had already been in the reserves 15 years.

Heidi said she looks back on her aforementioned ambush experience and knows she is lucky to be alive.

“We were hauling people to the hospital for appointments, and there was this big truck, about the size of mine, alongside the road, and it looked suspicious because it was out in the open all by itself.”

She said she decided to move over to avoid whatever danger may have lurked in that vehicle.

“Usually we ran in the middle of both lanes so I ran to the left-hand side and as soon as my bumper was even with that trucks bumper, the IED went off. It was huge.”

Heidi said her gunner in the truck in front of her turned around to see if she was OK.

“He said ‘Here came Mom (that was her nickname) driving right through the smoke, just like a Hollywood movie,’” all the while dodging flying truck parts and other pieces of metal.

When her truck got hit, Heidi said she still can’t figure out how she avoided being hit directly by shrapnel.

There was a huge piece of metal that came through the windshield, which she said she didn’t notice until they reached base.

“It was down by my foot, and he (another soldier) sitting next me leaned over. How that hunk of metal missed my leg and his head, I have no idea.”

Heidi said her truck was still movable until about the check-in point at the gate, and they let her go by without checking in because they were losing oil pressure and would have had to been towed if they stopped.

“I was mad. Over there, my truck is my lifeline. When I got out of the truck, I had glass everywhere on me, and in my helmet and uniform,” she said. “They all thought it was funny I was more concerned about my truck than myself.”

Heidi said she had a chance not to go to Iraq back in 2004.

“I was activated and was going to have to go, but since we had a 6-month-old at home, they told me I didn’t have to go.” At that point Heidi said if she didn’t go, she would lose her 15 years of service, and have nothing to show for it in the way of retirement.

“It was a tough decision, but I decided to go, and stay in the Army.” She said what helped her with her decision is knowing her kids would be cared for by family.

“Both of us had siblings and our parents around to help with the kids, so they would be fine. I wasn’t worried at all.”

She said she also did it to make a point.

“I wanted to show my kids — you finish what you started.”

Even though her kids weren’t with her then, she still got to be a mom overseas, for others.

She said her fellow soldiers called her “Mom” because she was not only much older than most of them, but because they could confide in her … and ask for advice.

Heidi retired in 2007.

So what does Veterans Day mean to the Erickson’s? They had similar answers, just as they had similar career paths.

“It’s all about the camaraderie of everybody who has been in those kinds of situations. Everybody can come and meet and be together and know that you all have been through the same thing. That you are not the only one. Knowing you proudly represented the United States,” Heidi said.

Eric echoed those sentiments.

“For me, I think is more about hanging out with other veterans, no matter what era they served in.”

Currently Eric is shop foreman for Merrick County Highway Department. He also coaches school athletics.

As for Heidi, “I am now just a stay-at home-mom,” she said with a big smile. “Just relaxing.”

Both of them still help at the American Legion Club in Central City.