Veteran Eric Kapitulik honored is in Thompson
THOMPSON — Captain Eric Kapitulik was named the Veteran of the Month for December.
He was born and raised in Thompson, the son of long-time Thompson residents Louis and Louise Kapitulik. Eric graduated from The Pomfret School, where he was the recipient of the Pomfret Bowl, given annually to the school’s most outstanding athlete. At Pomfret, Eric excelled at X-Country, Basketball and Lacrosse. Upon graduating, he attended The United States Naval Academy. While there, he was a four-year varsity letter winner and played on three NCAA Division 1 Lacrosse Tournament teams.
Eric graduated in 1995 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, where he served as both an Infantry Officer and a Special Operations Officer with the 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, 1st Marine Division. As a Force Reconnaissance Platoon Commander, Eric led 20 covert operations specialists in Special Operations-related missions, including long-range reconnaissance patrols, hostage rescues, high altitude jump exercises, ship takeovers, and gas-oil platform takedowns. He left active duty after eight years of service and graduated form the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 2005.
While training for their upcoming deployment to the Persian Gulf, Eric and his Marines were involved in a helicopter crash. The crash occurred on Dec. 9, 1999. The accident occurred just of the coast of San Diego near Camp Pendleton California. This awful tragedy made headline news across the country for a number of days following the accident. Six of his 10 Marines onboard the helicopter with Eric perished. In an effort to raise money for a college-scholarship fund that he set up for the children of his deceased teammates, Eric began to compete in the world’s longest endurance events and climb the world’s tallest mountains. Since then, he has competed numerous marathons, eight Ironman Triathlons, the Canadian Death Race Ultra Marathon, and the American Birkebiener Ski Marathon. He has summitted 5 of the fabled 7 Summits, the tallest peaks of each of the seven Continents, including Mt. Everest.
Eric is the founder and CEO of The Program Leadership LLC, a leadership development Company that works with leading collegiate and professional athletic teams and corporations throughout North America.
Eric and his wife Melissa have two children: a 13-year-old son, Axel, and a 7-year-old daughter, Anastasia who attend St. James Parochial School in Danielson. Eric and his family live on property where he was raised in North Grosvenordale.
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