Keller Auto Racing to donate all proceeds and purse from the 2008 season to Major Duecker Scholarship Fund.
A native of Liverpool, N.Y., Duecker enlisted in the Army in October 1989 and trained to be an infantryman. He came to Fort Drum in January following an assignment with the Combined Forces, Land Component Command in Kuwait from May 2003 to January 2005 supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. He deployed into Iraq with the 1st Armor Division in 2004 to support combat operations. Lt. Col. Michael J. Price, commander of Special Troops Battalion, 10th UEx, remarked "So my mind is put a little bit at ease knowing that Maj. Duecker died doing what he wanted to be doing - Soldiering." He passed on July 6, 2005. Duecker's awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Parachutist badge and the Ranger tab.
He received a bachelor's of arts degree in psychology from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 1996. He is survived by his mother Ida Duecker, of Salem, S.C., and his sisters, Leslie Keller, of Baldwinsville, and Lenelle Duecker, of Burbank, Calif., brothers David of Portland Oregon, and Donald of Utica N.Y.
2007 Scholarship recipients were Ron Feher for Liverpool and Samantha Miner from Baldwinsville.