Marco Andres Huerta

journey on this earth and venture off into the stars.

Marco, with his big, beautiful smile and infectious playful energy, could turn any room into the happiest place on earth and

then play you a beautiful soulful tune on his guitar. He loved music. He loved all kinds of music because he truly

appreciated every sound and effort that went into creating a piece of music. He once wrote, “There’s beauty in every part of

this world, if you know where to look.” It gave him great joy to see people find beauty that they had never seen before.

Then he would say, “teach that, live that, be that. The world needs more of that.” Marco took the time to reach out to his

family many times during the pandemic, just to check in. To let them know he was there for them. “If you ever need

anything, I’m here, anytime,” he would say. Marco was full of love and compassion.

Marco lived and loved with passion. He’d write about his adventures, the music he listened to while snowboarding with

friends, gliding down the mountain and pulling off the best tail slides. He was spiritual and curious about energy. He loved

reading about quantum mechanics and the double split experiment. He’d share his excitement about it with his family and

friends. This is where his interest in science and music intersected. It manifested during his time reaching a degree at Full

Sail University. This technical expertise eventually benefitted him and the world. Before he toured Europe with the Army

Band and was an integral part of Sound Image, he voluntarily gave up his own safety to save lives in Afghanistan as an Army

Combat Medic, assigned to the 1st Infantry Division. He selflessly served his country. Many times, he gave care to the

wounded of his brothers and sisters in arms and to the Afghan people who have suffered so much tragedy. Marco saved

lives, but in a dreadfully heart-breaking reality, we couldn’t save his.

Marco’s anxiety, depression, and PTSD was not a secret. He was open with his family and was actively seeking help. Day

after day, he recorded himself pressing out 22 push-ups to promote awareness for veteran suicide. He spoke to his family

and was honest about his thoughts of suicide. We removed the stigma of mental health by sharing our own experiences with

depression. We chimed in with exercises and tips. He visited with VA specialists and actively practiced some exercises to

reduce his anxiety and depression. We did acknowledge moments of expression from Marco that were incompatible with

his character, and he talked about his challenges with sleep. The day he took his life, he was scheduled to meet with a VA

meditation group. He was doing the right things, but the truth is that no one could have ever known his pain or the

darkness he was facing. Days before, he was picking strawberries with his family. He was seemingly happy, laughing, and

chasing his niece and nephew. He left no message before he made the fatal decision. To imagine him suppressing such pain,

for so long, …it must have been incomprehensibly agonizing.

We will carry Marco’s memory with us always. We will feel him when we remember his life. We will honor the kindness,

compassion, and love that he gave to all of us. He will forever live in our hearts, in our being, in our lives. That’s where his

energy lives on. Through all of us.

Marco was an organ donor, so when we learned about the Henry Jackson Foundation and the research in traumatic brain

injuries, we decided that we wanted to help. The center helped us make arrangements to donate Marco’s brain tissue, in

hopes that other families may find help and treatment.

We ask that you please take a moment to learn about the Henry Jackson Foundation and consider donating directly to the

Henry Jackson Foundation or to this GoFundMe. https://gofund.me/e9479e45

Please visit: https://www.hjf.org/

https://researchbraininjury.org/

TBI Research:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIH2j6WckWc

60 Minutes:

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/brian-mancini-brain-how-ieds-may-be-physically-causing-ptsd/#x