MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. – Eric Ward was a fifth-generation Marine, and he was proud of it.
Growing up, he was very close with his three siblings, and by the age of 12, Eric knew he would be a Marine.
Eric’s father, Steven, was very involved in the kids’ lives, coaching every sports team Eric was on while growing up.
Because Steven was also a Marine, by the time Eric arrived at boot camp, he was in peak condition from his father’s training.
In 2008, Eric became a Marine. He was a machine gunner. In late 2009, he was sent on his first deployment to Afghanistan, and in early 2010, while in Afghanistan, his life was taken by an improvised explosive device (IED).
Eric is now laid to rest in Arlington, Texas, where his dad makes several trips per year to visit.
“I visit him often in Arlington,” said Steven Ward, Eric’s father. “Like four or five times a year, I get to go see him so he can hear me talk. But we share his values. His name will never be forgotten because I will never stop saying it. I say it every day…”
Steven is extremely proud of everything Eric accomplished and honors him every day, not just on Memorial Day.
