Resident Reflections: Memorial Service Honored 'Real Hero'

The effects of a memorial service held for Marines Staff Sergeant Eric Christian Saturday are still being felt by borough residents.

Christian was a marine killed in Afghanistan last month. He was a 1993 graduate of Ramsey High School.

Local politicians and Christian’s family members held a memorial in his honor over the weekend. Ramsey residents lined Main Street to watch a procession in his memory, and gathered at Veterans Park for a ceremony commemorating Christian’s life and service to his country.

Since the memorial, residents have been sending photos and videos of the service, and their reflections on it, to Patch.

Residents Erik Endress and Dana Daniels shot the above video, and Mee Lon Yee submitted the photos. Yee said the following about watching Saturday’s ceremony from the sidelines:

As a 58-year resident of Ramsey, I have seen hundreds of parades go by my door. This procession brought out the townsfolk with their families to recognize a real hero. 

As Ret. Captain Ben Cascio (Vietnam War) commented that we talk of heroes in the movies, sports, etc. and forget about those who are in the service protecting us. He had taken a photo of the Twin Towers weeks before it  was attacked and specially framed it to present to the Christian family. Cascio said that is why we are fighting the war there.

Each speaker had something important to say at this memorial and County Executive Kathleen Donovan thanked the Christian family for allowing us to share in this remembrance of their son and brother.

The Memorial Day service last week had about half as many attendees as [Christian’s] service.

At the end of the service an anonymous donor had duplicate dog tags made for each member of Eric’s family.

Patch would like to hear your reflections, too. Comment below with your thoughts on the ceremony, or messages for the Christian family.