I saw this story on the news last night. Stevenson Ranch is not too far from Pasadena. This story just really broke my heart. My thoughts and prayers go out to this family. Read on…
Taken from: http://www.dailynews.com/ci_15215374
STEVENSON RANCH — Last week, Michelle Unthank woke to an early morning call from her son Jake William Suter, who had just landed in Afghanistan for his first deployment as a United States Marine Corps private. Suter told his mom the war-torn country was worse than he’d imagined, but the 18-year-old quickly moved on to the subject of girl troubles.
Over the next few days Unthank and her husband, Chris, Suter’s stepfather, bought and shipped off their only child some items they thought he’d need: bottles of shampoo and toothpaste, baby wipes, socks, insoles, DVDs and Red Vine licorice sticks. They expected to get a big thank you letter back from Suter soon. Instead, they got a knock on the door at 6 a.m. Saturday from two Marine sergeants. Their son had been killed in action.
“I fell to my knees… I cried out, `Why?’ and yelled that it was too soon,” the Stevenson Ranch mother said. “My son had been through months of training and boot camp to prepare for war, but no one prepares you as a parent for the pain of losing a child.”
On Wednesday, the Marine’s death was confirmed by military officials who said Suter died Saturday while supporting combat operations in Helmand province. He had been in Afghanistan just five days. Suter’s passing became national news when network television and news wires ran pictures of his coffin arriving back in the U.S. on Memorial Day. He was based at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
In Stevenson Ranch, flowers and candles continued to arrive at the Unthanks’ home as hundreds of neighbors, friends and strangers gathered Wednesday night in the quiet suburban neighborhood for a candlelight vigil. Some 300 to 400 people gathered, singing songs, saying prayers and exchanging memories of Suter. Among them was Suter’s cousin, Joseph Fowler, a Marine who went to boot camp with his cousin and will be deploying to Afghanistan in September. Asked if Suter’s death changed his mind about Afghanistan, Fowler said: “Well, before I was scared and now I just want to get over there to honor Jake’s memory.”
Over the weekend, neighbor Cecile Marin-Manalo, 40, sent out letters to her neighbors inviting them to a small prayer vigil, which she thought would bring some peace and solace to the Unthanks. But what was supposed to be a small gathering quickly grew as friends spread the news of Suter’s passing via email and social networking sites. By Wednesday evening several elected officials, including Congressman Buck McKeon and Santa Clarita Councilman Bob Kellar had agreed to speak at the vigil.
“At first I was nervous that they (the Unthanks) would not like this attention because they are very private people, but I felt they deserved to see the community come together to thank them for the sacrifice their son had made for all of us,” Marin-Manalo said. Manalo-Marin said, like her, many people in the community were touched by Suter’s charisma.
Sgt. Jose Medrano, 28, who was Suter’s recruiter, said he was also immediately struck by the teen’s innate leadership skills. “From the moment I met him, I could see he was a motivator, a tough guy, a charger,” Medrano said. The recruiter said he still remembers how confidently Suter told him that he was ready to enlist. “I was telling him about the benefits he would receive as a Marine and he stopped me and told me `I’m ready, where do I sign up,”‘ Medrano said.
It wasn’t quite as easy for Michelle Unthank to accept her only son’s desire to enlist in the Marines. Suter was never a straight “A” student, but Unthank said her son had a great way with words, written or spoken. Suter also tested in the top 10th percentile on his military entrance exam, which could have landed him any job in the Marine Corps – originally the teen had signed up to go work in military intelligence.
Suter even dreamed of one day becoming president of the United States. Unthank joked with him that he should be more realistic with his goals, but secretly believed him capable of reaching his big ambitions. Weeks after beginning his senior year at West Ranch High School in Stevenson Ranch though, Suter made it clear to his mother that joining the Marines was all he wanted to do immediately after graduating. “He thought it would be a good way to start a political career, serving his country,” Unthank said. She never imagined that about a year later she’d be faced with the devastating loss of her “boy.”
Chris Unthank, 34, who raised Suter from the age of six, held Michelle’s hand tightly as her eyes welled up. The stepfather said he’s tried to keep his crying to a minimum over the last few days, in an effort to be strong for his wife. His strength is broken briefly though by a visit from a coworker who brought flowers and a card.
“It is very hard to let him go,” Chris Unthank said. Right before Suter deployed, he called home and had a three-hour conversation with his stepfather, revealing some of the regrets he already had in his short lifetime. “He said he wished he would’ve paid more attention in school, taken tougher classes,” Unthank said.
One thing he never mentioned though, even during the toughest parts of his boot-camp training, was any regret with his decision to serve his country. Chris and Michelle Unthank said they take some comfort in that. “My son died a warrior,” Michelle Unthank said. “Now he’s been called home… to complete another mission in a better place.”
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