Ramsey Graduate Killed in Afghanistan

A 1993 Ramsey High School graduate serving overseas in Afghanistan was killed Saturday, according to a friend of the soldier’s family.

Eric Christian, 39, a Special Forces staff sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, was killed when an Afghan National Army soldier shot him during a training session, Jody Muti, a Ramsey resident and friend of the family, told Patch Monday.

According to a NorthJersey.com report, Christian was first deployed in 2003 and served five tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.

According to the report, Christian moved out of New Jersey after high school, and was inspired to join the Marines after September 11, 2001.

According to Muti, Christian will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Muti did not know any details about when the burial would be, but said that Christian’s body had not yet returned to the United States.

NorthJersey.com reported that his body is scheduled to arrive in Delaware on Tuesday.

The family plans to hold a memorial service locally after the burial, but plans have not been finalized yet, Muti said.

Christian is one of four children, the report said.

His brother Mark, 32, is a former Marine who served two tours in Afghanistan, Muti said. Christian, who recently bought a home in North Carolina, is remembered as a high school football player, musician, and good friend, the report said.

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