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Cruelbreed
07-02-2009, 04:20 PM
November, 2005
In Memoriam
Remembering James Erik Sung Gap Suh, son, brother and friend, who died in Afghanistan
By Ki-Min Sung


Solomon Suh stands at the casket of his son, James.
Photos by Eric Sueyoshi
October was supposed to be a joyful month for James Erik Sung Gap Suh. It was when he planned to propose to his girlfriend, Anna Chung, after returning from a six-month deployment with the Navy SEALs. The couple spoke on the phone and e-mailed nearly every day, while James was away at an undisclosed location.
“October was going to be a pretty exciting time,” said Anna.
Then the e-mails stopped.
James and Anna’s future plans came to an abrupt end when Petty Officer 2nd Class Suh was killed in Afghanistan on June 28. James, who was 28, was one of 16 soldiers riding in a helicopter that was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, while attempting to rescue four SEALs on the ground who were in trouble battling Taliban fighters. All 16 aboard the helicopter, half of whom were SEALs, died. Only one of the SEALs on the ground survived, thanks to the kindness of an Afghan shepherd. The 11 SEALs killed in the operation made it the deadliest SEALs incident since the inception of the elite unit 43 years ago. Over 2,000 American soldiers have been killed since the start of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The SEALs are a specialized group within the U.S. Navy. About 200 soldiers graduate from the training program each year, and the drop-out rate is more than 70 percent. These “frogmen” are highly skilled in underwater demolitions, as well as for operations on sea, air and land, from which they get their name.
Becoming a Navy SEAL was a goal James set for himself in high school. His childhood friend, Frank Portugal, described James (who first enrolled in college and graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in statistics) as “the most determined person I’ve ever known.”
The secrecy of the SEALs’ work forced James to limit his conversations with his friends and family, often not telling them his whereabouts. Many of James’ friends and family members were surprised to discover that SEALs were conducting operations in Afghanistan. But they had always understood that James had to keep secrets from them.
Often, James would joke about his missions by creating fantastic stories with a twist of truth. His sister, Claudia Suh Brown, 29, said her brother came to visit once and had a gash on his forehead that looked like it had been a serious injury at one point. When she asked about it, James said he was trying to find a good place to bury himself while doing surveillance. When he looked into a hole to see if it was clear, a jackrabbit popped out of the hole and attached itself to his forehead. All along, he was gesturing as if trying to pry the animal loose.
“We were all sitting there and asking if this is in any way true,” Claudia said.
Growing up, James demonstrated a loyalty to his friends and family that was unwavering. James and his friend Portugal grew up with two other boys, Erik Esposito and Neil Bradford, in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The four were best of friends. But tragedy struck during their teenage years. Erik was killed in a gun accident when he was 15.
“They lost Erik when he was 15, and they lost my brother when he was 28,” said Claudia. “It’s mind-boggling how you can start up with four friends and end up with two before they’re even 30.”
James used to go by only his Korean name, Sung Gap, until high school. After Erik’s death, he adopted Erik’s name in his memory, in addition to James, a name he had always admired. But James didn’t just use words to express his compassion for those who were close to him. He continued to visit Erik’s family regularly, even sending his mother, Linda Cleveland, cards on Mother’s Day.
“James would make sure Neil and I went with him to visit her every Christmas when we were home during the college years,” said Portugal, 28.
Claudia and James were raised by their father, Solomon, who was a laborer in a warehouse in Florida. They spent summers visiting cousins in Southern California, including trips to Six Flags Magic Mountain. But life was difficult growing up because their mother had abandoned the family when Claudia and James were infants, said Claudia. Because of the sacrifices Solomon made as a single parent who remained involved in his children’s lives, Claudia said her brother was dedicated to looking out for their father as he got older. Similarly, the prospect of marriage excited Anna and James’ families because both were single-parent households.
“He would have a mom, and I would have a dad,” Anna said.
After Solomon retired two years ago, James invited his father to live in Hawaii, where James was stationed, and bought Solomon a condo. But it was Solomon who would continue to make sure his son was taken care of by cooking James healthy meals. It was the least Solomon could do, he felt, to show his love.
“My brother wanted nothing more than to be able to take care of my dad in return, when he got older,” Claudia said. “Ironically, when my dad moved in with James, he went back into the role he had for 30 years, which was to take care of us.”
Even when James was killed, Solomon made sure that Claudia would be safe. After being informed of his son’s death, Solomon telephoned Claudia in a light-hearted manner and told her to call him back when she got home from work. He feared the news of James’ death would upset her ability to drive home safely.
“I think we’ve been trying to be strong for one another,” Claudia said. “I can’t even begin to understand the kind of agony he’s going through when he has time to mourn on his own.”
Before James left for Afghanistan, he wrote a letter to his father, which he hid in Solomon’s room and was to be found on his father’s birthday. Claudia read a portion of the letter at James’ funeral, on July 30, at Forest Lawn in Los Angeles. In the letter, James thanks his father for raising his children with the limited means he had, and for the values he instilled in both of them.
“I wonder if Sung Gap understood how much of the qualities he saw and appreciated in my father were, in fact, qualities of his own — selflessness, moral strength and faithfulness,” Claudia said tearfully in her eulogy.
Annie Lennox’s “Into the West” played during a slideshow with pictures of James over the years, following the eulogy. The lyrics — “Across the sea a pale moon rises, the ships have come to carry you home” — haunted friends, family and Los Angeles firefighters and police officers who came to pay their respects.
On a warm summer’s day, James was laid to rest. A lone bugle sounded “Taps,” and a color guard shot rifles. Two helicopters flew overhead in tribute, traveling in formation, side-by-side at first, until one made a sharp left away from the Hollywood Hills. Dozens of SEALs passed by James’ body for a final moment, tenderly pinning their golden Trident pins that bear the SEAL symbol onto James’ wooden casket.
“It’s a fitting tribute to people who gave up everything for us,” said a Navy lieutenant commander, a SEAL in his 16th year of service, who asked not to be identified. James was awarded several honors posthumously, including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
The family chose Forest Lawn because that is where James’ grandparents and uncle are buried. Solomon bought a plot there for himself years ago. James is now laid to rest near the site where Solomon planned to be buried long before his son.
http://www.koreamjournal.com/Magazine/index.php/kj/2005/november/feature_story/in_memoriam/(page)/1