Malcolm K. "Mack" Eckley was born on December 27, 1921, in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Paul Nelson Eckley and Ethel M. King Eckley. He was married to Elizabeth Saylor Eckley.

He served in the 418th Bomber Squadron, 100th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Side Gunner on the B-17 #42-97859 ' Any Gum Chum' during World War II.

On June 25, 1944, his crew took off at Station 139 airfield in Thorpe Abbott, England, on a mission to drop material supplies for the Maquis during Operation Zebra. Shot down by flak, the crew evacuated the plane at 13,000 feet. The airplane caught fire on the wing, and one engine shut down and crashed near St-Germain-des-Grois, France. All members survived except for the Mechanic, whose parachute failed to open. Four crew members were captured by the Germans, while the remaining four evaded the capture (including Sgt Eckley). Sgt Eckley was one of the 152 allied airmen and soldiers who were helped and hidden in the Freteval Forest camp by the French Resistance to evade German capture.

Post-war, Mack was employed in the Department of Photographic Services at Penn State University from 1949 to 1982. He had a photo studio in his home in Bellefonte, which also included a darkroom in the basement. He took wedding, baby, school, and family pictures. After their retirements, Mack and Betty moved to Phoenix, AZ.

Mack died on November 8, 2017, at the age of 95 in Arizona. He is now buried in the Meyer Cemetery, Buffalo Run, Centre County, Pennsylvania, USA.

Source of information: francecrashes39-45.net, www.findagrave.com