ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) — A thread woven throughout Ronnie Marks’ life is service: being the mayor of Athens, teaching at West Limestone, and helping families at the Department of Human Resources.
“As I look back on it, I really have decided that there’s not much better things to do in life than to serve others,” Marks said.
But he said his heart to serve truly formed when he was drafted into the Army for the Vietnam War.
“They needed leadership, and they needed people at that age. And I was 24 years old, being drafted with a bunch of kids,” Marks explained.
Even after 50 years, it’s difficult for Marks to pull out the photos and maps and recall what he and the other soldiers endured in the war. It’s a time in his life he does not bring up frequently, and does not enjoy talking about at length.
“There were heavy fights in some of this area up in here. It’s one of those things you just kind of block,” Marks said. “You would be walking through the jungle or the forest where you could not hardly see past 20 or 30 yards in front of you, it was raining so hard. So, tough experience as you look back on it, but an experience that, as you look at your life, it fits together.”
Marks served in Vietnam for 11 months and one day, earning himself a Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge, among other honors. He then served in the Alabama National Guard for ten years, taking along the lessons his deployment taught him.
“Vietnam proved to me that none of us should be much better or at a much higher level than anyone else,” Marks said. “Our mission was to accomplish a mission and get them home to their loved ones.”
As Ronnie Marks embarks on his fourth term as the Mayor of Athens, he carries the importance of collaboration and service with him, while remembering the people, places and paths that led him here.
“I lost a real good friend a few weeks ago to Agent Orange, and he was with me side every night for probably 11 months, right there with us. So, just, just tough, tough situations. It’s, you know, and we just live through things and we try to grow from them.”
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