Military family comes together after another war injury

CEDAR RAPIDS – Whitney Ennor has been surrounded by the military for years and years.

Ennor has one older brother recovering from a roadside bomb explosion in Afghanistan that left him with two broken legs and another older brother still serving in Iraq.

She even married into it.

“They know when they sign on the line it's (injury) a possibility but you never think it's going to happen to them or that you are going to get that phone call,” said Ennor.

This week, Ennor, 21, of Cedar Rapids, got that phone call that her husband, Sgt. Martin Ennor, 25, of the Iowa National Guard, had been injured serving in Afghanistan. The National Guard confirms Ennor was one of four men hurt when a bomb exploded on Tuesday in Afghanistan.

“We're doing really well under the circumstances,” said Whitney Ennor on Friday. “As best as we can. It's really hard having two injuries so close to each other.”

The family is still coming off the shock of the war injury to her older brother, Sgt. Matthew Macke. The 26-year-old Macke suffered his second war injury when a roadside bomb exploded in Afghanistan on April 27.

Just before Memorial Day, Macke returned to his Cedar Rapids home with a warm welcome from family and friends. Now weeks into his recovery, Macke said this last stretch for National Guard soldiers before their tour is complete later this summer may not be easy.

“Summer time is known to be the fighting season in Afghanistan,” said Macke. “I keep in contact with my guys on a daily basis.”

Macke said he is looking forward to the day when the unit he worked with returns home at the end of the tour.

“I want to be there at the welcome home with a beer for all of them and we'll go about our business,” said Macke.

Whitney Ennor said her husband was also supposed to return home in mid-July but, with his injury, he could be home in the coming days.

“Rehab will take quite a while because he has a back injury,” she said. “It's been since December when he came home for mid-tour leave and it was really awesome to see him. It's going to be even better now that it's for good and not just two weeks.”

With her older brother and husband now recovering from injuries, U.S. Army Corporal Nick Macke, 25, remains serving in a war zone as he is in Iraq. In 2006, Matthew Macke was injured when a roadside bomb went off in Iraq.