After his older brother served in the U.S. Army, Mark Swanger felt the need to serve his country during the perils of the Vietnam War. He enlisted in the Army in 1969.
Basic Training took Mark to Fort Bragg in North Carolina. During his training, Mark was kicked in the face by a steel-toed boot, which damaged his right eye severely. Despite this injury, Mark was still able to carry out his service assignment in Germany, where he fixed the trucks and tanks that were sent into battle. He ranked as a Specialist until he was honorably discharged in 1972.
The transition back to civilian life wasn’t easy. “There was a lot of bad talk about the Army during Vietnam. There was a lot of animosity from people when I returned home,” says Mark. However, Mark received limitless support from his wife, Patsy, which he continues to receive to this day. Mark continued his mechanical career in civilian life, working in wheel vehicle maintenance until his health deteriorated further. Migraines along with blurry and double vision continue to hinder Mark’s quality of life.
Mark and Patsy currently reside in Dallas, North Carolina. Purple Heart Homes will be fixing the flooring and providing other updates to their bathroom in order to improve their quality of life at home. When asked what this intervention from Purple Heart Homes means to them, Patsy says, “This will absolutely make our lives better. We’ve been stressed out about our bathroom situation for such a long time. These renovations will take all of this worry and stress off of us when they’re completed. We appreciate Purple Heart Homes so much!”
We appreciate the both of you, as well as the service Mark provided our country. We’re so glad to include you into our Purple Heart Homes family!
