thedrifter
02-10-06, 07:19 AM
Tucson Region
A Marine's last letter
'He wrote about things he would not be around to tell' his son, widow says
By Carla McClain
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.10.2006
The young Marine from Safford wrote a letter to his infant son — to be opened only if "something happens to me," he told his wife.
On Thursday, that letter was opened — three days after an improvised explosive device killed Cpl. Brandon Scott Schuck, 21, as his unit patrolled the violent streets of Baghdad.
A graduate and star athlete of Safford High School, Schuck became the 16th service member with ties to Southern Arizona to die in the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday.
He is the fourth local felled by makeshift bombs crafted by insurgents, the top killer of U.S. troops in Iraq.
"It was very strange. It was kind of like he knew," said his wife, Megan, from her parents' home in Safford. It was in the small town about 80 miles northeast of Tucson that she and her husband met, became high-school sweethearts, then married and had a son, Gavin, now a year old.
"He wrote about the things he would not be around to tell Gavin. He asked Gavin to be there for me, to know how much his father loved me — so many things, as if he knew," said Megan, 19. "It is what is so heavy in my mind right now."
By all accounts from an extended circle of friends in Safford, Schuck was determined to be a superb father and husband, in part to overcome the troubles of his own childhood in an unstable family.
Joining the Marines — even though he knew it would likely mean combat duty in the Middle East — was part of that plan.
"His whole goal in life was to never repeat what had happened to him early on. He wanted above all to be a good husband, a great father, an exceptional Marine, and he was succeeding at all of those," said Edward Romero, who taught government at Safford High and, as a former Marine, became a friend and mentor to Schuck.
"This was a young man who had a very rough time growing up, but he never showed that, never complained," Romero said. "He always had a smile on his face, he liked to laugh and joke. He had no attitude about it at all. He never let people know the struggles he had."
A gifted athlete, Schuck starred on the basketball court, played varsity football, and was a member of the golf team at Safford High. His teachers described him as a typical student academically, but one who buckled down in his studies to stay eligible for sports.
"He really had so much talent, and he was willing to accept any role we gave him," said Romero, who also coached Schuck in football. "He worked extremely hard. He was just a great kid."
Bounced around a lot in his personal life, Schuck finally began to find stability when he moved in with the school's athletic director, Joe Burnside, and his wife during his junior year of high school.
"We kind of became his parents for that time, and he was great to have in the home — he followed all the rules, he always worked during the summer, he did whatever needed to be done," said Burnside, struggling to speak on Thursday.
Crushed by the news of Schuck's death, Burnside said he and his wife had "prayed and prayed" he would come home safe and whole.
"You immediately start questioning our philosophy, our government, and our commitment there," he said. "But Brandon told me many times that the Iraqis are glad the American soldiers are there, that they always came up to him and said, 'Thank you, thank you.'
"But we were always scared to death for him."
The Burnsides were among the first friends Megan called Tuesday morning, after three uniformed Marines arrived at her home to tell her of her husband's death.
"I couldn't even understand her. I wasn't sure what she was saying to us," Burnside said. "Here is a 19-year old girl with a 1-year old baby. I don't know how you even deal with that."
Megan Schuck said she talked to her husband — a combat engineer with the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force — just hours before he died.
"He always made it a point to call whenever he got to a base. We talked every day, sometimes twice a day," she said. "That night we talked for about 20 minutes, but he was rushed. He said he had to go — the convoy was waiting for him."
That night, as on many, Schuck's convoy drove ahead of all the other convoy vehicles, sweeping for land mines. "He was always in the front vehicle, making sure all the other soldiers were safe," his wife said.
In Iraq since October, Brandon Schuck was due home in a little more than a month.
"What hurts the most is his age — how young he was," said Romero. "He was maturing into a terrific young man. A very bright light has been put out."
On StarNet: Search the updated database of U.S., British and other coalition troops killed, wounded or missing in action in Iraq at azstarnet.com/attack
Contact reporter Carla McClain at 806-7754 or at cmcclain@azstarnet.com.
Ellie
A Marine's last letter
'He wrote about things he would not be around to tell' his son, widow says
By Carla McClain
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.10.2006
The young Marine from Safford wrote a letter to his infant son — to be opened only if "something happens to me," he told his wife.
On Thursday, that letter was opened — three days after an improvised explosive device killed Cpl. Brandon Scott Schuck, 21, as his unit patrolled the violent streets of Baghdad.
A graduate and star athlete of Safford High School, Schuck became the 16th service member with ties to Southern Arizona to die in the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday.
He is the fourth local felled by makeshift bombs crafted by insurgents, the top killer of U.S. troops in Iraq.
"It was very strange. It was kind of like he knew," said his wife, Megan, from her parents' home in Safford. It was in the small town about 80 miles northeast of Tucson that she and her husband met, became high-school sweethearts, then married and had a son, Gavin, now a year old.
"He wrote about the things he would not be around to tell Gavin. He asked Gavin to be there for me, to know how much his father loved me — so many things, as if he knew," said Megan, 19. "It is what is so heavy in my mind right now."
By all accounts from an extended circle of friends in Safford, Schuck was determined to be a superb father and husband, in part to overcome the troubles of his own childhood in an unstable family.
Joining the Marines — even though he knew it would likely mean combat duty in the Middle East — was part of that plan.
"His whole goal in life was to never repeat what had happened to him early on. He wanted above all to be a good husband, a great father, an exceptional Marine, and he was succeeding at all of those," said Edward Romero, who taught government at Safford High and, as a former Marine, became a friend and mentor to Schuck.
"This was a young man who had a very rough time growing up, but he never showed that, never complained," Romero said. "He always had a smile on his face, he liked to laugh and joke. He had no attitude about it at all. He never let people know the struggles he had."
A gifted athlete, Schuck starred on the basketball court, played varsity football, and was a member of the golf team at Safford High. His teachers described him as a typical student academically, but one who buckled down in his studies to stay eligible for sports.
"He really had so much talent, and he was willing to accept any role we gave him," said Romero, who also coached Schuck in football. "He worked extremely hard. He was just a great kid."
Bounced around a lot in his personal life, Schuck finally began to find stability when he moved in with the school's athletic director, Joe Burnside, and his wife during his junior year of high school.
"We kind of became his parents for that time, and he was great to have in the home — he followed all the rules, he always worked during the summer, he did whatever needed to be done," said Burnside, struggling to speak on Thursday.
Crushed by the news of Schuck's death, Burnside said he and his wife had "prayed and prayed" he would come home safe and whole.
"You immediately start questioning our philosophy, our government, and our commitment there," he said. "But Brandon told me many times that the Iraqis are glad the American soldiers are there, that they always came up to him and said, 'Thank you, thank you.'
"But we were always scared to death for him."
The Burnsides were among the first friends Megan called Tuesday morning, after three uniformed Marines arrived at her home to tell her of her husband's death.
"I couldn't even understand her. I wasn't sure what she was saying to us," Burnside said. "Here is a 19-year old girl with a 1-year old baby. I don't know how you even deal with that."
Megan Schuck said she talked to her husband — a combat engineer with the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force — just hours before he died.
"He always made it a point to call whenever he got to a base. We talked every day, sometimes twice a day," she said. "That night we talked for about 20 minutes, but he was rushed. He said he had to go — the convoy was waiting for him."
That night, as on many, Schuck's convoy drove ahead of all the other convoy vehicles, sweeping for land mines. "He was always in the front vehicle, making sure all the other soldiers were safe," his wife said.
In Iraq since October, Brandon Schuck was due home in a little more than a month.
"What hurts the most is his age — how young he was," said Romero. "He was maturing into a terrific young man. A very bright light has been put out."
On StarNet: Search the updated database of U.S., British and other coalition troops killed, wounded or missing in action in Iraq at azstarnet.com/attack
Contact reporter Carla McClain at 806-7754 or at cmcclain@azstarnet.com.
Ellie