Purple Heart Veteran honored at NHRA event
MOHNTON, Pa. — After surviving a roadside bomb attack and 39 surgeries, Staff Sgt. Todd Meckley received a Purple Heart medal Aug. 22.
Meckley, 35, originally of Prospect, graduated from Slippery Rock High School in 1992 and joined the Army two weeks after graduation.
On May 17, 2007, Meckley's Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq. A piece of metal flew through the door of the vehicle, hitting Meckley in the hip. The metal went through his body, fracturing his pelvis and spine.
"They flew me to Northern Iraq then to Germany for surgery," Meckley said. "I spent five months at Walter Reed, had 39 surgeries and spent a year in a wheelchair."
Meckley, who spent six months fighting in Iraq before being injured, defied his doctors' predictions and is now walking.
The soldier received his Purple Heart at the Maple Grove Raceway in Berks County from world champion top fuel driver Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army Race Team at the National Hot Rod Association's national competition. Meckley said the NHRA recognizes hometown heroes each year, and he fit the qualification with his Purple Heart.
Meckley now is stationed in Fort Sill, Okla., where he lives with his wife and four children. He has been in the military for 17 years.
"It feels good," Meckley said of the medal. "It's nice to be recognized for stuff that we do for being in the military and being away from our family. I have seen a lot of stuff, and it has taken this war for people to realize exactly what we do."
Debbie Meckley, Todd's mother who lives in Cincinnati, said she has watched her son grow through all of the challenges he has faced in the past few years.
"I really think he deserves it for everything he has been through, and I am very proud of him," Meckley said. "He has been through a lot."
