UPDATE: According to family members, Emond was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery yesterday (Jan. 11) afternoon.
SPRINGDALE (KFSM) -- Army Sergeant First Class Eric Michael Emond, 39, was one of three servicemen killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Tuesday, November 27, 2018. A friend and fellow comrade is speaking out about Emond's life following the tragedy.
Emond attended Springdale High School in the late 1990s, which is where he and retired USMC Sergeant Major Lance Nutt met.
"He made people laugh around him, and he liked to have fun, and everyone I've talked to, that's what hurts them the most is knowing that someone who had such a positive influence on people's lives was lost," Nutt told 5NEWS.
Nutt says that Emond and his best friend were his first recruits into the Marine Corp. and that Emond stood out to him as a leader.
"While I was deployed to Iraq in 2009, I got a call that Eric had been injured severely in the line of duty while serving in Afghanistan, and most of us thought that would be the end of his career. Obviously, that wasn't the case, he fought hard to overcome his injuries."
After Emond finished his time in the Marines he tried out for the Army Special Forces, which Nutt told 5NEWS is the best of the best.
"That says a lot about Eric Emond. That chasing the profession that he did speaks highly of him, and he was always looking for that next big challenge, and by going Special Forces it epitomizes who he was."
Emond had more than 21 years of military service and was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina before his death. He leaves behind a wife and three little girls.
"I think that's the hardest part for most everyone when they lose someone they love, you miss the good and Eric had a lot of good and ultimately I think that is what will be missed most about him."
A GoFundMe account has been set up for Emond to help his family out with flights to Arlington for his funeral, and the rest of the money will go to his wife and kids.
