Friends Remember Fallen Marine

As reported by KHTS News

The Stevenson Ranch community was shocked over the weekend as family and friends of Pfc. Jake Suter received the news of his death on Saturday morning. Suter was killed in Afghanistan last week while serving in the Marine Corps.

Friends remember Suter for being very passionate. Ray Carlson, Suter’s bishop at his church, remembers him riding his bike four miles just to get to church. Suter was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and knew many members of the church’s congregation.

Carlson remembers that Suter was always passionate about the military and serving in the Marine Corps.

“He was excited to serve his country, he was very proud,” said Carlson. “I remember him coming to church in his dress uniform, he was proud to wear the uniform and to represent the United States.”

Suter played for West Ranch High School’s football team from his freshman through junior years. He was also in the Boy Scouts and reached the rank of Life Scout, which is just below Eagle Scout.

History was also one of Suter’s passions. He had been studying Afghanistan and its’ people and history before he was deployed.

Brian Walters knew Suter for seven years and was his team leader at church. Walters described Suter as being very passionate young man and very excited to go to Afghanistan.

“He did quite a bit of study on the Afghani people, he had come to love them before he even got there,” said Walters. “For him, it was about bringing peace to that region, and to those people more than anything else, for that he was very excited”

A candlelight vigil will be held from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday on Bates Place in Stevenson Ranch. Everyone is encouraged to attend and bring U.S. flags. Mourners are asked to park on Kavenaugh Lane.

Suter’s parents traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to escort their son’s remains home. Funeral arrangements have not been scheduled.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/RIP-Jake-Suter/112010105511077

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Local Soldier Killed In Afghanistan

Written by Jeremiah McDanie
Wednesday, 03 March 2010

An Army Paratrooper from Stevenson Ranch was killed in southern Afghanistan on Monday.

Spc. Ian Gelig, 25, died when his patrol unit was hit by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in Kandahar, Afghanistan, according to information from the Department of Defense.

After enlisting in 2006, Gelig was deployed to Kuwait for 15 months, where he served with the 126th Transportation Company.

"Gelig will always be with us," said Pvt. Antonio Santos, a paratrooper from Alpha Company. "From the day you arrived you touched everyone's heart. You made us laugh, you made us smile, and you kept us from falling apart."

"Gelig was a good friend and great person," said Spc. David Tryon, a fellow Paratrooper from Alpha Company. "He was always there for you when you needed something. He will be deeply missed by everyone in this unit, for a piece of us went with him."

According to Hart High Principal Collyn Nielsen, Gelig graduated for the school in 2002.  He is survived by his parents, Tim and Delia Gelig, and his two sisters, Vanessa and Liana Gelig.

Debbie Duke, Co-President of Blue Star Mothers of the Canyons, a group which supports families of service members, says that they will be contacting the family to provide support.

Duke says Gelig's death marks the 11th death of a service member from the Santa Clarita area since the Global War on Terrorism started in 2002.

Update: Gelig was posthumously promoted to Sergeant.

The Global War on Terrorism, which includes Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, has claimed the lives of 4,074 service men and women.

Blue Star Mothers of the Canyons also presents a Gold Star banner to families within Santa Clarita who have lost a son or daughter while serving in the military. The Gold Star banner represents the honor and sacrifice made by the fallen hero.

According to Duke there are currently more than 700 men and women from the Santa Clarita Valley connected to the military. She says that this number only represents recent services and does not reflect the number of veterans living in the Santa Clarita.

Blue Star Mothers is a nationwide organization and has been helping families of service members since 1942.

A memorial in Gelig's honor will be held in Afghanistan.

http://ourfallensoldier.com/GeligIanTD_MemorialPage.html

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