Michael D. Echanis (November 16, 1950 – September 1978) was a former United States Army Special Forces and 75th Ranger Battalion enlisted soldier, ultimately working for the CIA as a contractor. He was killed while working for the CIA in Nicaragua in 1978 in a helicopter crash in along with his colleague Charles Sanders and members of the Nicaraguan armed forces, due to a bomb placed on board.[1]
Echanis was born in Ontario, Oregon and was of Basque descent.[2] He enlisted in the US Army in 1969 and received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with "V" device for his service in a LRRP in the Vietnam War. He was eventually promoted to the rank of Specialist 4.
Echanis was well-known as a hand-to-hand combat instructor for the Special Forces, SEALs, and other military groups. He was a high-ranking black sash in Hwa Rang Do and the author of three military-oriented hand-to-hand combat books based on it.[3] He had previously studied Judo and Tae Kwon Do. He served as the Martial Arts Editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine from 1974 to 1976.
Echanis is buried at St. Johns Catholic Cemetery (a.k.a. Sunset Cemetery) in Ontario.[4]
NOTE: PHOTOS ARE NOT OF MIKE, BUT OF HIS BEST FRIEND CHUCK SANDERS, WHO WAS ALSO KIA.
Echanis was born in Ontario, Oregon and was of Basque descent.[2] He enlisted in the US Army in 1969 and received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with "V" device for his service in a LRRP in the Vietnam War. He was eventually promoted to the rank of Specialist 4.
Echanis was well-known as a hand-to-hand combat instructor for the Special Forces, SEALs, and other military groups. He was a high-ranking black sash in Hwa Rang Do and the author of three military-oriented hand-to-hand combat books based on it.[3] He had previously studied Judo and Tae Kwon Do. He served as the Martial Arts Editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine from 1974 to 1976.
Echanis is buried at St. Johns Catholic Cemetery (a.k.a. Sunset Cemetery) in Ontario.[4]
NOTE: PHOTOS ARE NOT OF MIKE, BUT OF HIS BEST FRIEND CHUCK SANDERS, WHO WAS ALSO KIA.
Michael D. Echanis (November 16, 1950 – September 1978) was a former United States Army Special Forces and 75th Ranger Battalion enlisted soldier, ultimately working for the CIA as a contractor. He was killed while working for the CIA in Nicaragua in 1978 in a helicopter crash in along with his colleague Charles Sanders and members of the Nicaraguan armed forces, due to a bomb placed on board.[1]
Echanis was born in Ontario, Oregon and was of Basque descent.[2] He enlisted in the US Army in 1969 and received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with "V" device for his service in a LRRP in the Vietnam War. He was eventually promoted to the rank of Specialist 4.
Echanis was well-known as a hand-to-hand combat instructor for the Special Forces, SEALs, and other military groups. He was a high-ranking black sash in Hwa Rang Do and the author of three military-oriented hand-to-hand combat books based on it.[3] He had previously studied Judo and Tae Kwon Do. He served as the Martial Arts Editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine from 1974 to 1976.
Echanis is buried at St. Johns Catholic Cemetery (a.k.a. Sunset Cemetery) in Ontario.[4]
NOTE: PHOTOS ARE NOT OF MIKE, BUT OF HIS BEST FRIEND CHUCK SANDERS, WHO WAS ALSO KIA.
Echanis was born in Ontario, Oregon and was of Basque descent.[2] He enlisted in the US Army in 1969 and received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with "V" device for his service in a LRRP in the Vietnam War. He was eventually promoted to the rank of Specialist 4.
Echanis was well-known as a hand-to-hand combat instructor for the Special Forces, SEALs, and other military groups. He was a high-ranking black sash in Hwa Rang Do and the author of three military-oriented hand-to-hand combat books based on it.[3] He had previously studied Judo and Tae Kwon Do. He served as the Martial Arts Editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine from 1974 to 1976.
Echanis is buried at St. Johns Catholic Cemetery (a.k.a. Sunset Cemetery) in Ontario.[4]
NOTE: PHOTOS ARE NOT OF MIKE, BUT OF HIS BEST FRIEND CHUCK SANDERS, WHO WAS ALSO KIA.
