Paul Russel Marek - U.S. Army 1998-2006

All Russ Marek remembers is an intense flash of light; he told his doctors after waking up from a coma 13 weeks later at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, short of that, he has no recollection of what happened to him or how he ended up in the hospital without a right arm and a right leg. The doctors told him it was a blessing he didn’t remember. In addition to losing an arm and a leg, Marek suffered burns over 20% of his body. He also suffered a serious brain injury, which has contributed to his having difficulty in re-learning to talk and swallow liquids. Marek, whose full name is Paul Russell Marek, was serving in Iraq on Sept. 16, 2005. He was eight days from rotating home. It was his last assignment. He had just been promoted to staff sergeant two weeks prior. Marek’s last mission was to intercept an enemy convoy of 150 trucks coming in from Iran that were suspected of supplying arms and ammunition to the insurgents. His tank was the last in a formation of three to roll over a culvert hiding a massive IED (Improvised Explosive Device) that September day. The 70-ton M1A1 Main Battle Tank was no match for the 1,000 pounds of explosive wrapped around a 155 mm artillery round that shot up through the bottom of his tank, blowing the 23-ton turret completely off the tank hull. Three soldiers in Marek’s unit died that day. Marek would have died that day, too, had it not been for the quick response by the Army medics who were credited with saving his life. He also was awarded the Combat Action Medal and a Bronze Star for bravery.

Paul M. & P. Russell Marek Bios.

Paul M. Marek is a past President of the Palm Beach & Brevard County chapters of the Mortgage Bankers of America. After 45 years in the Mortgage Lending business, 30 of which he owned his own lending business in Brevard County, had to take early retirement to become a VA Certified caregiver, along with his wife Rose, to attend to their 100% disabled veteran son Russell. Paul stayed active in Mortgage lending as a certified State instructor for the Florida Mortgage Professionals and the Florida Realtors, authoring & teaching 12 Continuing Education courses in Mortgage Finance. His Wife of nearly 50 years passed away unexpectedly in 2017, and Paul had to sell the family home of 30 years to take full time residence with Russell, in his specially adapted home to provide 24/7 care for his 100% Disabled son.

U S Army SSG. P. Russell Marek (ret)

SSG. P. Russell Marek, US Army (ret) with a 100% Disability rating, enlisted in the Army in February 1997 doing his basic training at Ft. Knox, Ky. to become a “Tanker”. His first duty station was Rays Barracks in Freidburg Germany, where he was assigned to the 137th armor group. Near the end of his Germany tour he was assigned to the NATO K-FOR group serving almost nine months in Kosovo.

In 2003 Russ served as an M1A1 Tank Gunner during the initial invasion of Iraq and engaged 14 enemy tanks, winning every battle. Russ earned his Bronze Star and Combat action badge during his first tour. After spending a year Stateside at Ft. Stewart Ga. Russ returned to Iraq in January 2005 and while on a mission to intercept arms and munitions coming in from Iran, an IED destroyed his M1A1 tank.

In this massive explosion Russ lost his dominant limbs (Rt. Arm & Leg), Sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), suffered 3rd degree burns on 20% of his body and lost his right ear and left thumb. Company “C”, 4th Battalion, 64th Regiment of the 3rd ID lost 3 soldiers, 2 Battle Tanks and four soldiers were severely injured during that mission.

SSG. Marek healed from his 32nd major surgery, and in June 2014 was able to use his new prosthetic leg to start walking AGAIN after being wheelchair bound for over 7 months.

Russell was elected Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 453, Merritt Island, Fl. and was the” Host Commander to the State MOPH Convention in June 2014. Russ travels across Florida with his dad telling his story to Civilian & Veteran Amputees to show what can be accomplished, “AFTER ACTION”. Russ lives in Viera, Fl. In his Specially Adapted Home and works diligently every day to regain his independence once again.