It
is with an overwhelmingly heavy heart that we share the devastating
news of the passing of our brother, Rockaway Township Police Officer
Anthony (Tony) Eresman. Officer Eresman passed away of PTSD at his home
on August 2, 2020, at the age of 37. Tony Eresman, who attended Morris
Knolls High School in Rockaway, joined the United States Marine Corps
immediately after graduating and went on to serve in Operation Enduring
Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Tony is survived by his
loving wife, Nicole, and two beautiful children, Travis and Kadence. He
also leaves behind his parents Rich and Sue Eresman, brother Nick, and
his wife Britta. He is the grandson of Dolly Venturini and the late
Stanley Venturini. Tony is also preceded in death by his grandparents
William and Edie Eresman and cousin, Jeff Eresman, and survived by many
aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
He had a true love
for his country, and after the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11, he
immediately found his calling and joined the United States Marine Corps,
a decision which was driven by the desire to protect not only those he
held dear but also the freedom for all Americans.
After
completing boot camp, Tony went on to attend SOI, the School of
Infantry, then joined the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Alpha
Company, 3rd Platoon. He and his Marine Corps brothers were then
deployed to what became known as the Invasion of Iraq, which included
the infamous Battle of Nasiriyah, which involved the marines securing
the two main bridges and retrieving captured Army soldiers, one of which
was Jessica Lynch.
Less than one year following Tony’s return
from his 1st deployment, he was deployed to Musayib, El Haswah, and most
notably, the Forward Operating Base next to a power plant in
Iskandariyah, Iraq. During the seven-month deployment, Tony and the 24th
Marine Expeditionary Unit defended the FOB, taking on incoming rockets,
mortars, and deafening explosions daily. This experience was so
significant that writer and film producer Rex Pratt created the
three-time award-winning documentary film, Between Iraq and a Hard
Place.
Corporal Anthony Eresman, aka Bunny, served a total of
four years of active duty and two wars – Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Even after experiencing the great stress of
severe combat, seeing death, killings, tragedies, and facing fear daily,
Tony was extremely proud of his service to his country and served with
great honor.
Shortly following his honorable discharge from the
U.S. Marine Corps, Tony became a Police Officer in Rockaway, New Jersey,
where he was born and raised. He spent the past 13 years on the force
protecting others, upholding guiding principles, and serving with the
same selflessness in the Rockaway Police Department as he did with the
USMC.
Tony’s world was his family. He loved working on projects
like building and adding to their “forever” home, taking them out on
their boat, going on fishing trips, coaching his son’s football, hockey,
and lacrosse teams, dancing and singing with his daughter, attending
all of her gymnastics practices and being known as his children’s
biggest and loudest cheerleaders. He will be deeply missed by his
friends, family, and all who knew him.
PTSD is a (silent) mental
health problem that some people develop after a trauma or
life-threatening event. The symptoms of PTSD can cause problems with
trust, closeness, communication, and problem-solving, trouble with
relationships, friendships, work, and sometimes adapting to society.
In
lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations to be made in Tony’s
honor to the www.03XXFoundation.org, which is a peer mentor and support
network serving Infantry Marine Veterans and their Navy Corpsman. The
foundation provides career transition services, emergency financial
support and assistance, and benefits advocacy.