The measure of a marine
Honor. Courage. Commitment. The core values of the United States Marine Corps have manifested in the life of retired Lt. Col. Ronald Eckert.
From the battlefields of Vietnam to football fields across America, Eckert has left a legacy of passion and dedication to his country and the sport he loves.
The 86-year-old Daniel Island resident served 20 years in the Marines, including two combat tours in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry for heroism in combat.
A high school All-American football standout, Eckert played for the Quantico Marines football team and later became the 50-year program’s last head coach.
After retiring from the military, he consulted for the Washington Redskins through 13 seasons and three Super Bowl appearances and officiated more than 250 NCAA football and basketball games.
The history and high standards of the Marines were what drew Eckert to the military, but football is why he joined.
“There were football players who wanted to be Marines and there were Marines who wanted to be football players, so it was a magnet at both ends,” he said of the success of the Quantico Marine football program, which began in 1919 at the Quantico Marine base in Virginia.
The team became known as the Devil Dogs, a name given to Marines in World War I due to their ferocious fighting spirit. Several past members went on to be professional players and coaches in the NCAA and NFL.
Eckert’s passion for the team began in 1958 when he was a freshman at Upsala College in East Orange, New Jersey, and watched the Devil Dogs win 13-0 against undefeated Rutgers University.
“I hitchhiked down to New Brunswick to see them play and after the game, I went over to the buses and talked to the players. They were impressive,” Eckert said. “The next day I went over to the Military Selection Officer in New York City, and he signed me up.”
Eckert played for the Devil Dogs in 1963 and 1964 before deploying to Vietnam. In 1971, he was named the team’s final head coach. “I took it as a real indication of the confidence the leadership had in me,” said Eckert. “They said I was their man.”
Over 53 years, the Quantico Marines amassed 355 wins against other military squads and colleges such as Georgetown, Villanova, and Vanderbilt. The program ended in 1972 due to post-Vietnam budget cuts and a dwindling pool of opponents.
“Our last game was Thanksgiving Day in 1972 against Xavier in Cincinnati,” Eckert said of the team’s 34-0 final win. “I later learned the crews of a passing FedEx plane and a military aircraft sang the Marines’ Hymn over the radio to honor the team as they flew over the stadium.”
On Jan. 28, 2026, Eckert was the guest of honor at the unveiling of the new Marine Football exhibit at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia. Eckert donated several pieces of memorabilia he collected through the years including signed footballs, a helmet, a warmup jersey and a commissioned painting depicting highlights of the storied program.
Eckert’s greatest love: his wife, Kathie, helped him cut the ribbon for the Marine Football exhibit. She passed away five days later.
The couple were married 58 years and share three daughters and three grandchildren.
“She was the core of it all. Not only was she a great mother, she was a great professional,” Eckert said of Kathie, a Realtor who helped military families find homes for 37 years. “She kept everything together and was a great supporter of everything I wanted to do.”
In 2025 the Eckerts pledged $100,000 to a scholarship fund at Ronald’s alma mater, Rogers High School in Newport, Rhode Island, where he was captain of the football team and named to the 1958 National All-American team. The donation provides college tuition assistance to help Rogers High School graduates achieve their dreams, just as Ronald has.
The Eckerts met in the summer of 1961 when Ronald was a lifeguard at Easton’s Beach in Newport. They married in 1967 and lived most of their lives in Virginia and North Carolina.
The couple moved to Daniel Island in 2020 when Kathie needed temporary rehabilitation services at Wellmore assisted living facility. They fell in love with the island and bought a condominium at the Oaks at River’s Edge, where Ronald still lives.
“They are the best neighbors we’ve ever had,” Eckert said of the residents of The Oaks. “They are such caring people and they all rallied around me when my wife died.”
Eckert said he is amazed by the number of people who continue to offer daily support, including his neighbors and friends from Saint Clare of Assisi Catholic Church.
“Everyone should appreciate Daniel Island because when you’re an old person, this is what you hope retirement will look like. This is what you work for. The whole Daniel Island experience is a real blessing.”