Rescue Wing remembers fallen pararescueman

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Natasha Dowridge
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. --  Rescue Wing members remembered the legacy of one of their own during their Unit Training Assembly Dec. 7, 2013.

On Dec. 7, 2001, Staff Sgt. Douglas L. Eccleston died while performing a rescue mission off the coast of Bermuda.

During a mission to save a critically-ill crewman of the 600-foot supertanker Alma Belia, Eccleston's inflatable boat capsized, killing him. Due to Eccleston's heroic actions, the crewman was rescued and saved.

Eccleston was a member of the elite pararescue team assigned to the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base. He honorably served his country for 15 years. This service included military action in Panama and during Operation Desert Storm.

"Doug was one of my teammates and a solid PJ," said Chief Master Sgt. Doug Kestranek, 920th RQW pararescueman. He always volunteered for the tough assignments and wasn't afraid to get dirty. Make no mistake, he is missed."

Eccleston will always be remembered by those who knew him as a fun-loving, caring man.

The wing's parachute-rigging facility was officially designated as the Eccleston Pararescue Facility in 2009. Eccleston lived and died by the honorable pararescue motto, "That others may live."

Pararescuemen, also known as PJs, are the only Department of Defense elite combat forces specifically organized, trained, equipped, and postured to conduct full spectrum personnel recovery to include both conventional and unconventional combat rescue operations. PJs participate in search and rescue, combat search and rescue, recovery support for NASA and conduct other operations as appropriate.