‘He cared more about other people than himself’: Friends and officials mourn Mass. native killed while serving in Afghanistan
Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Michael Emond, 39, was on his seventh tour of duty.
A Massachusetts native and member of the Army’s Special Forces who was killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday is being remembered by friends and public officials alike for his dedicated service and caring nature. Sgt. 1st Class Eric Michael Emond, 39, was one of three U.S. service members who died after the vehicle they were in was struck by an improvised explosive device in the Ghazni province of Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said in a statement Wednesday. Army Capt. Andrew Patrick Ross, 29, of Virginia, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan J. Elchin, 25, of Pennsylvania, were the two others killed.Emond, who previously served in the Marines, was on his seventh tour of duty overseas. Locally, he helped start the nonprofit Massachusetts Fallen Heroes.“When I tell my kids stories about bravery and courage, it’s going to be guys like Eric Emond I’m talking about,” Boston Police Sgt. Michael Brown, a Marine veteran of Iraq who worked to create the nonprofit’s memorial in the city’s Seaport for Massachusetts service members who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, told the Boston Herald. According to the Herald, Emond was severely wounded in Afghanistan in 2009, which is when he worked with a group of veterans to create what would become the nation’s first memorial to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Dan Magoon, executive director of Massachusetts Fallen Heroes, told The Boston Globe that the 39-year-old grew up in Fall River, where he graduated from Durfee High School, and lived for a time on Stock Street in Dorchester. “He was an unbelievably caring man,” Magoon said. “He cared about this country, he cared about his service, most of all, he cared about his wife and his kids — his family.” The Department of Defense said Emond was most recently living in Brush Prairie, Washington. According to the Washington Post, he spent more than 21 years serving in the military and leaves behind a wife and three children. His military awards and decorations include three Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, and the Meritorious Service Medal, according to the Globe. Bay State politicians were among those mourning the Massachusetts native’s death and praising his service. “We can never repay the debt we owe him, but we can be there for his family, just as Eric had made it his mission to be there for the families of other fallen service members,” Sen. Ed Markey wrote on Facebook.
Sergeant Emond was a highly decorated soldier and the Commonwealth will be forever grateful for his bravery and honorable service to the country throughout seven tours of duty overseas. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Full Statement: https://t.co/wRfbzwSRYV pic.twitter.com/HYVf2tUDAC
— Charlie Baker (@MAGovArchive) November 29, 2018
My statement on SFC Eric Emond: pic.twitter.com/kcCiVqr3Sb
— Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) November 28, 2018
The death of every American servicemember is a tragedy, but this one hits close to home. SFC Eric Emond grew up in Boston. My heart breaks for his family. The entire Commonwealth mourns his loss.https://t.co/mlBoatTosy
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 29, 2018
Emond’s “whole life” was dedicated to serving his country, Magoon and Brown told the Herald.
“He’s a great American,” Brown said. “He served his country his entire adult life. He served his community. He was doing something he loved. He died doing something he loved.”
Magoon called Emond the “bedrock” of the organization that he helped start.
“He was a soldier’s soldier, a marine’s marine,” Magoon told NECN. “He wore two different uniforms throughout his whole adult life serving this country and he cared more about other people than himself.”
