DENVER — In Lucas Hecker’s Denver home, on the mantel above his fireplace, a collection of medals and a model ship honor his service in World War II. But he would just as soon give up those awards.
"The real thing is, I got home alive,” Hecker said. “I'd rather have my life than all those medals.”
Hecker was a member of the United States Merchant Marine, traversing the seas on cargo ships to move soldiers and supplies across the Pacific. So, it’s only fitting he is celebrating his 100th birthday on National Maritime Day.
Denver7 sat down with Hecker as he reflected on the war, his life in Denver and the importance of family.
Hecker never saw himself going to war. His parents came to the United States as immigrants from Odessa, Russia. They worked off their debts as indentured servants on a Texas cotton plantation, then moved to the Midwest plains.
He grew up on a farm in Kansas with eight siblings. At first, his family lived in a sod house, before building a two-story home where Hecker shared an upstairs bedroom with seven brothers.
When he graduated from high school in 1943, he considered becoming a priest, like his uncle and two brothers.
“But then I got my card. It said to report to the Army,” Hecker said.
He was 18 years old when he decided to report for duty.
Hecker was one of more than 250,000 men who served with the Merchant Marines in World War II.
“Our Merchant Marine ships had trucks on there, jeeps, scrapers,” he said. “When you were called on your ship, you had to move in and unload. Get all that equipment off, get back in the convoy and wait for further orders.”
Hecker served on seven different cargo ships, including the Victory. He said Japanese soldiers didn’t target cargo ships. Still, more than 800 U.S. merchant ships sunk or were damaged during the war.
“They were after tankers, aircraft carriers or anything big,” he said.
But shrapnel from kamikaze explosions targeting bigger ships often put Merchant Marines at risk too.
Hecker still has shrapnel in his knee. Throughout the war, more than 6,700 Merchant Marines died and hundreds were detained as prisoners of war.
All these years later, Hecker is still overcome with emotion when he remembers the soldiers who were injured.
“When we unloaded, sometimes, they would have us come aboard,” he said.
When he entered the field hospital, "guys would put their hand out... They were looking for you to grab their hand.”
Hecker was stationed in the Pacific during the Battle of Iwo Jima, and when the United States military dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
"After that, we had a time of cleanup, and a month or so bringing the troops back,” he said.
That’s when the most meaningful part of Hecker’s life began.
“True happiness starts in a family,” he said.
Hecker studied to become an electrician and worked for Kansas Power and Light. Then he met Beth, and instantly thought, “That's the girl I'm gonna marry.”
They honeymooned in Colorado, and soon decided to raise their children in Denver.
"It was just a normal life, married life. Raise the family and good job,” Hecker said.
He worked hauling beer for Coors while studying to become an electronic engineer. Then General Dynamics hired him for the Atlas Missile program. Once that contract was over, he settled into a decades-long job with the Gates Rubber Company.
When he retired, he and his wife spent time on the open seas, taking cruise vacations. On one trip from Hawaii to Tahiti, he even traveled some of the same waters as during the war.
“We enjoyed that trip,” he said, flipping through the photo album. "Everything was good to me."
Looking back on his century-long life, he humbly said "there was nothing really outstanding.”
But he’s proud to have a beautiful family, with seven children, 24 grandchildren and more than a dozen great-grandchildren.
“That’s what I wanted,” he said. “What else can you say?”
