Grieving father has message for Marines at Pendleton

[question everything]

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Grieving father has message for Marines at Pendleton

By: LOUISE ESOLA - Staff Writer
North (San Diego) Times

OCEANSIDE ---- An Escondido man whose son was among the first casualties in the U.S.-led war in Iraq and who is now marching 241 miles to promote peace took his message to Camp Pendleton's front gate late Tuesday afternoon.

"I am not against the troops," Fernando Suarez del Solar, whose son Jesus del Solar was killed soon after the war began almost three years ago, said to Marine sentries who halted the marchers at the gates. "The Marine Corps is my family. I lost my son, but I feel I won a lot of sons in the Marine Corps." Suarez del Solar, who struggles to speak English, told press members moments earlier that he sent a letter to the base hoping to meet with his son's former unit commander to voice his support of the troops and his opposition to the war and politicians who have put troops in harm's way. He said he had hoped to meet with someone on the base Tuesday.

(snip)

More than a dozen demonstrators, marching through downtown Oceanside earlier in the day, spent roughly 45 minutes at the gates bearing photographs of troops and waving U.S. flags and signs that read "Impeach Bush." One woman carried a poster-sized photograph of flag-draped caskets on board an aircraft ---- one of the controversial photographs that were released by the Pentagon last year.

(snip)

Victor Paredes, a former Navy sailor who refused to board a ship heading to Iraq in 2004, said the visit to Camp Pendleton was an important one, meant to show those heading on and off base that the march is for peace. Acting as a translator for Suarez del Solar, he said Suarez del Solar's wish to speak with his son's commander was meant to send a message that protesters are not anti-troops.

(snip)

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/15/news/coastal/18_08_483_14_06.txt




Donna Taylor, left, carries an anti President Bush sign as she and around 15 protesters who are against Iraq war walk through downtown Oceanside on Tuesday.

[gratuitous]

1. Hmmmm

I wonder if a grieving father will receive the same treatment that grieving mother Cindy Sheehan got? I know that our friends at Free Republic are punks, and I know they're sexist. Let's see just how much of both they are, whether they go all out on Francisco Suarez del Solar, or if they pull back because he's a father, not a mother, arguing for peace.

[MadMaddie]

2. They will go after him because he is Hispanic and his

English is not perfect!!

They have no shame!!

[saigon68]

7. They will shred him TO BITS

THE FREEPERS ARE PUNKS AND COWARDS

A lot of DRAFT DODGERS there like their Hero COWARD CHENEY

[951-Riverside]

5. This guy was around way before Cindy Sheehan

he even visited iraq but he never got the same type of press Cindy did its probably because he's hispanic.

[goclark]

3. Patriot ~ that is what is needed

[maddezmom]

4. Brave and Courageous folks

K&R

[question everything]

9. Yes, they are courageous. To march to a major Marine base

in the middle of a marine city (oceanside) where the military is revered.

[flamingyouth]

6. Brave man

I commend all of these people, and I'm so sorry for this man's loss.

[Cha]

8. This man, Fernando Suarez del Solar,

is a huge Light in the freakin' Dark! Doesn't his name mean "Sun"? Thank you, sir!

I really like that woman's homemade sign..it says so much that the masses need to have in their psyche.

[ConcernedCanuk]

10. "so much that the masses need to have in their psyche" - I agree

.
.
.

But the "masses", at least in the US of A just aren't paying attention

(sigh)

[Cha]

11. I agree but the US masses

are paying more attention than before because bush's polls are in the '30's unlike after 9/11 when they were in the '90's(supposedly)..I was a proud member of the 10%er Club!

I have to tell you that I really like Canada..everytime I go there I have the best time..talking to the people and seeing the beautiful country.