Eric J. Bernholtz
Profile
Age: 23
From: Grove City, Ohio
Assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, Columbus, Ohio attached to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward)
Incident: Marine Lance Cpl. Eric J. Bernholtz was killed Aug. 3 when his amphibious assault vehicle was attacked by an improvised explosive device while he was conducting combat operations south of Haditha, Iraq. Also
Died: August 03, 2005
Ohio Marine killed in Iraq explosion
Associated Press
The night before his funeral, friends of Eric J. Bernholtz gathered to recall a guy who would sneak into church to play basketball, who would drink chocolate milkshakes and talk all night.
They laughed about his trademark footwear, which he called “shandals.” He’d cut the toes and heels off old gym shoes, turning them into something resembling sandals.
“This is a person that loved life,” said Dave Montgomery, a friend.
Bernholtz, 23, of Grove City, Ohio, died Aug. 3 when his vehicle was hit by a bomb south of Haditha. He graduated from high school in 2000 and was assigned to Columbus.
The Rev. Rob Paugh laughed about Eric’s navigational skills. “He thought he had a sense of direction,” he said, explaining that Bernholtz managed to find a wedding in Louisiana by driving south without knowing the name of the town or the church. Paugh was amazed to see him there in a...
Occupation
Incident
Prayers & Messages
Perhaps, they are not stars
But rather openings in Heaven,
Where the love of our lost ones
Pours down through
and shines upon us
To let us know they are happy.
~Inspired by Eskimo Legend~
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time of sorrow.
Brother in Christ,
Jerry Claus