Skydiving to Salute – Iwo Jima Marines

David Bernard

David Bernard Construction Quality Assurance

David Bernard

Construction Quality Assurance

David was born and raised in rural New York near Binghamton, the son of two middle/high school teachers. He played high school football and hockey developed a passion for teamwork that led him to the Marine Corps.

David received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical-Nuclear Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. He played football and participated in the NROTC program at College of the Holy Cross and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps after graduation in 1999.

David was trained as an Air Support Control Officer and also as a Low Altitude Air Defense Officer. David served at Marine Air Support Squadron 2(MASS-2), Marine Air Control Group 18 (MACG-18), First Marine Air Wing (1stMAW), Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa from 2000-2001. He participated in exercises in Hawaii, the Philippines and Okinawa. From 2001-2004, David served at MASS-3, MACG-38, 3rdMAW at Camp Pendelton, California. He participated in exercises in Spain,
California and Arizona and served with MASS-1, Task Force Tarawa in the Conquest of Iraq in 2003.

In 2004 David completed active duty and moved to Colorado. In 2007 he received his Master of Science degree in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. While in graduate school David was promoted to Captain, coached football and joined the Foothills Detachment 469 of the Marine Corps League. Through the Foothills Detachment he has been involved with the Marine Corps Memorial since 2005. David joined the Marine Memorial Foundation in 2017 with the
goal of ensuring that the Memorial remains dedicated to all Marines and that the planned renovations are practical and sustainable.

David currently resides in Westminster, Colorado with his wife Debi and son Zander.