14 | NOVEMBER 11 • 2021 

OUR COMMUNITY

A LONG-AWAITED 
CONVERSATION
I recently had the privilege of 
helping facilitate a reunion of 
sorts between two WWII vet-
erans in their 90s who live on 
opposite sides of the country.
While attending this past 
Memorial Day’s annual 
ceremony at Machpelah 
Cemetery in Ferndale, I 
shared a conversation with 
veteran Mark Hechler, 95, 
of Southfield. He was a 
proud member of the 12th 
Armored Division, 17th 
Armored Infantry Battalion, 
Company B; also known 
by their nickname “The 
Hellcats.”
Mark knew of my regular 
writings in the JN about our 
JWV and asked if I might 
have any contacts that could 
help him reconnect with men 

he served with in his division 
to talk, reminisce and com-
pare war stories.
My search led me to a 
12th Armored Division 
Association website where 
I netted a positive contact 
— association historian Bob 
Scherer who resides outside 
of Philadelphia. Bob is a 2004 
Army retiree and the son of a 
late Hellcat veteran. In honor 
of his father, he works tire-
lessly to sustain the legacy of 
the 12th Armored Division, 
which includes reunions 
and the distribution of the 
monthly Hellcat newsletter of 
which Bob is a regular con-
tributor.
Bob went to work on behalf 
of Mark, and in just a matter 
of weeks he connected Mark 
with 12th Armored Division 
veteran and fellow combat 

infantryman Ed Goeppinger, 
97, of Riverside, Calif.
Ed and Mark now share reg-
ular Saturday afternoon phone 
conversations. Mark’s daughter 
Ellen told me that her father 
had a map out during the calls 
to help recall places he had 
served. Ed told Mark that he 
was at Dachau at the end of 
the war when the survivors 
were released. 

Mark described the conver-
sations as “quite liberating.” 
With each conversation, more 
questions are answered, more 
memories rekindled. Of their 
initial hour-long chat, Ellen 
said her father “was smiling 
the entire time they were 
talking.”
Today, Mark Hechler is 
a member in good stand-
ing with the 12th Armored 
Division Association and 
looks forward to reading the 
monthly Hellcat newsletter 
from cover to cover. Plus, he 
continues to seek out other 
12th Armored Division com-
rades in the hope that they 
can join in on the Hellcat 
conversation. Of Mark being 
reunited with the association, 
Bob said, “It’s always a real 
joy to recover a Hellcat we 
lost track of.” 

Mark Hechler in uniform, 
circa 1945

COURTESY OF MARK HECHLER

continued from page 13

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