ArkLaTex E.R. nurse given military sendoff at funeral
The Christus Highland nurse died from COVID-19
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BOSSIER CITY, La. (KSLA) - Forty-nine-year-old Michael Marceaux gave his life — fighting against the deadly virus that claimed his life.
On Friday, his family laid to rest the 22-year Air Force veteran.
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“I would talk to him before things got bad. He’d say, ‘Take it serious, this isn’t a joke', and for me to take care of those around me,” said his son Drake, who traveled in from out-of-state for this week’s services.
According to officials with Christus Highland Medical Center in Shreveport, Marceaux contracted coronavirus while working as a nurse the emergency room.
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Drake says his father was deployed multiple times during his more than two decades in the Air Force, including Desert Storm. He worked on B-52s, retiring as a fuel operation supervisor as an E-7 master sergeant.
He adds, after retiring from the military, his passion to serve never died, later enrolling in college to become a nurse.
Marceaux graduated from a Northwestern State University nursing program in 2018.
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“He was only worried about helping people,” explained Drake.
After Friday morning’s funeral with honors, Marceaux was buried at Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Keithville.
“Growing up, I always thought of him as my hero. And everything that happened amplified it more and more," Drake said.
As for the medical workers continuing their fight against COVID-19 — Drake offers this encouragement.
“Keep going, stay strong, and we’ll beat this.”
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