Marines return to cheers and hugs in San Jose
FAMILY, FRIENDS WELCOME BACK THE MARINES AT MILITARY TRAINING CENTER
By Julie Patel
Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:09/17/2007 01:35:15 AM PDT

Twenty-three Marine reservists flew into San Jose airport Sunday morning and were greeted with hugs from teary-eyed parents, lipstick kisses from girlfriends and lots of balloons, homemade banners and cupcakes.

The celebratory scene was a surreal contrast for Staff Sgt. Jerami Surratt, especially considering his recent assignment in the Middle East: helping send the caskets of military personnel who died in Iraq back to the United States.

But on Sunday he tried not to think about that sad, four-month assignment. Instead, Surratt, 26, looked on with pride at the Marines he had helped lead who were part of the Beach and Terminal Operations Company of San Jose.

The Marines gathered with friends and family members in the parking lot of the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center in San Jose, which was decorated with "Welcome Home" banners and messages scribbled in chalk.

Among those coming home was Lance Cpl. Daniel Corona, 25, of San Jose, whose mother clung to him crying. Corona's recent letters to his family - addressed "Dear Familia" and filled with encouragement for his little sister and her schoolwork, and for his mom and her exercise routine - were wonderful, said his mother, Angie Corona.

But the letters didn't compare to having him in her arms.

Out of the corner of his eye, Surratt, a Vacaville resident, also caught Lance Cpl. Bradley Hubbard of San Jose, who swept up his petite girlfriend and kissed her.

Hubbard's mother, Stephanie, said she knew her son would join the military when, in the days after the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks, he punched his fist into the shower wall out of frustration. He said nothing about joining then, but in her heart, Hubbard knew he would.

When Surratt joined the military in 1998, he had put less thought into it.

"I just needed a little something to do after graduating" high school, Surratt said.

Boot camp was a shock, physically and mentally.

"You get out there and the drill sergeant is yelling at you. . . . I was so scared," he said. "Every night you go to bed wondering, 'Why am I here?' "

But he stuck with it, spent a year training at Camp Pendleton near San Diego and started working as a medical clerk and in sales while taking classes for an associate degree in administration of justice. He was first deployed to Iraq in 2005 and returned Sunday from his third seven-month tour.

In many ways, the last one was the toughest. For four months, he worked in Kuwait with five others on one of the military's most heartbreaking jobs.

They unloaded flag-draped caskets that were flown into Kuwait. Over the four months, there were hundreds of them. Each received a salute of honor from Surratt and his associates, as well as a prayer recited by a chaplain. Then, the caskets were carefully boarded onto a plane bound for America.

"It was very sobering," Surratt said. "I was honored to help but, obviously, I would rather have never had to do it."

Still, Surratt says joining the Marines Reserves was the best decision he ever made because of the deep friendships formed and his own personal growth as he moved up the ranks to help manage the 72-member platoon on his last deployment.

He said he may decide to finish his degree and work in law enforcement. But if more soldiers are needed in Iraq, he wouldn't have a problem with another tour, especially if friends such as Sgt. Juan Leon are asked to serve again.

"He has a wife and four children. I don't," Surratt said, looking at Leon chatting with buddies nearby. "If I can, I'd rather take his spot."


Contact Julie Patel at jpatel@mercurynews.com or (40 271-3679.

Ellie