Captain Eckert was a veteran of World War II. During the Korean War, he was a member of the Air Development Force, Air Search and Development Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. On 5 June 1951, he was the pilot of a F-82G Twin Mustang night fighter, flying in formation with a F-51 Mustang fighter over New Germany, Ohio, when his aircraft was struck by a F-86F Sabrejet fighter bomber and crashed.

Eckert was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.