RIP Sunny Garcia?

PRCD

Tom Curren status
Feb 25, 2020
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Grew up in Hawaii. Stationed only in San Diego and Hawaii and a few extended TDY to Pensacola, Va Beach, and Newport RI.

I would not say I had a good experience in the military. Got sent to iraq as a medic for 10 months in 2008. Was a terrible experience. Came home and graduated college and the economy was in the dump.

I foolishly stayed longer after that because the money was good (I became an officer) and the economy was so bad in 2010. I grew to resent the military for all the stuff it put me through by the time I retired.

The military has some great benefits though. But experiences vary wildly. Some people ride a desk their entire career and never deploy. Some people deploy constantly. Its all a roll of the dice.
Did Sept 2004 - Sept 2009 as an infantryman with deployments to both vacation destinations.

Took me a solid three years to even get close to being a functional human being after getting out. Even that was only after I had a total mental breakdown and moved back in with my parents. Plenty of guys I deployed with didn't have the luxury of stable parents who'd stick things out for their kid. More than a few ended up on oxy, in prison, etc. I think about the 8 or 9 year mark was when I let go of a lot of stuff and now don't really think about my time in very often at all.
Regardless of your experiences, thanks for your civic piety and patriotism.

God I hate politicians, the brass/flag officers and the MIC.
 

menobrah

Gerry Lopez status
Feb 28, 2021
1,056
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Did Sept 2004 - Sept 2009 as an infantryman with deployments to both vacation destinations.

Took me a solid three years to even get close to being a functional human being after getting out. Even that was only after I had a total mental breakdown and moved back in with my parents. Plenty of guys I deployed with didn't have the luxury of stable parents who'd stick things out for their kid. More than a few ended up on oxy, in prison, etc. I think about the 8 or 9 year mark was when I let go of a lot of stuff and now don't really think about my time in very often at all.
I've been supportive of all branches since I was a kid, that said my industry saw a big influx of young men who had served in the conflicts in afghanistan and Iraq and never have I seen more broken humans. A real lost generation of kids who didnt have access to much help. It was hard to watch and reminded me that it can be a machine that eats kids up and spits them out.
 

bluemarlin04

Michael Peterson status
Aug 13, 2015
2,565
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Did Sept 2004 - Sept 2009 as an infantryman with deployments to both vacation destinations.

Took me a solid three years to even get close to being a functional human being after getting out. Even that was only after I had a total mental breakdown and moved back in with my parents. Plenty of guys I deployed with didn't have the luxury of stable parents who'd stick things out for their kid. More than a few ended up on oxy, in prison, etc. I think about the 8 or 9 year mark was when I let go of a lot of stuff and now don't really think about my time in very often at all.
Had similar experiences.

Luckily my wife had a stable job and took care of me when things started to seriously unravel.

Unfortunately lot of my friends took their own life, got hooked on drugs or alcohol, or never really got past their deployment.

Sucks.

That’s why I tell everyone experiences in the military can be very different
 

bluemarlin04

Michael Peterson status
Aug 13, 2015
2,565
2,383
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Regardless of your experiences, thanks for your civic piety and patriotism.

God I hate politicians, the brass/flag officers and the MIC.

Ozzy said it best 50+ years ago

"Generals gathered in their masses...just like witches at black masses...evil minds that plot destructions...sorcerers of deaths construction."


"Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor, yeah"
 

bluemarlin04

Michael Peterson status
Aug 13, 2015
2,565
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I've been supportive of all branches since I was a kid, that said my industry saw a big influx of young men who had served in the conflicts in afghanistan and Iraq and never have I seen more broken humans. A real lost generation of kids who didnt have access to much help. It was hard to watch and reminded me that it can be a machine that eats kids up and spits them out.
Sometimes when I feel sorry for myself and my friends from the conflicts I think back to Vietnam.

Vietnam had it way worst then my generation. They didn't even have access to the care they needed. Tons were just left to go search for their proverbial "bootstraps".
 
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hammies

Duke status
Apr 8, 2006
15,588
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Sometimes when I feel sorry for myself and my friends from the conflicts I think back to Vietnam.

Vietnam had it way worst then my generation. They didn't even have access to the care they needed. Tons were just left to go search for their proverbial "bootstraps".
A lot of the Nam guys had major untreated psych problems for years.
 
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Eimeo

OTF status
Oct 18, 2005
233
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28
Encinitas
These situations are incredibly difficult on the family and they have to think what is in the best interest for Sunny. Huge amount of stress on everyone close to him. Huge life changing situation for his family. Maybe they don't want the public to see him like this. Maybe they would rather Sunny be remembered for charging big Waimea and 2nd reef Pipe like a beast.

If you were in Sunny's position and struggling to be coherent, would you want someone taking pics of you for the gram and posting them online for all to see, even as you continue to deteriorate? Maybe you would, but everyone is going to handle these situations differently. All we can do is hope for the best and respect the fam.

Aloha
I definitely would not want social media to be the outlet, but maybe some sort of more serious journalism report or story that would offer up some sort of status or closure for fans to be content with. Just seems like fans should also have some sort of closure to the ordeal instead of only having rumors and social media posts to try and make sense of it all. I get the sensitivity of keeping it inside the family, I could never assume to know anything until it happened directly to me. I just miss the guy and wish I knew if there was going to be a chance to see him ever again.
 
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r32

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 1, 2005
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Cambria
I definitely would not want social media to be the outlet, but maybe some sort of more serious journalism report or story that would offer up some sort of status or closure to for fans to be content with. Just seems like we fans should also have some sort of closure to the ordeal instead of only having rumors and social media posts to try and make sense of it all.
I humbly disagree with fans deserving closure.

Celebs and athletes don't owe their fans anything. By our own choice, we are simply watching them live their life, through the periscope of fandom. They've already given us amazing moments to remember, and stress relief from our normal dreary routines. Are we deserving of anything beyond that? Insight into their personal lives? Insight into their family and daily ups/downs? I would say no.

However, I understand that feeling of wanting closure.
 

racer1

Tom Curren status
Apr 16, 2014
12,953
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Honolulu, Hawaii
Dad passed away when I was 4, he was 54 and a retired officer. The benefits we received made life for my single parent mom a lot easier. She still isn't married 36 years later cause she gets benefits and access to Commissary. Military really blessed our situation. Dad was orphaned during the Great Depression in rural Minnesota, adopted to Illinois as free farm labor, then joined the Navy at 18. Came through Hawaii on the way to Korea and said I'm living here after service.

When he was passing away (cancer), he told my mom to not let me join no matter what though.
 

hammies

Duke status
Apr 8, 2006
15,588
14,230
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Dad passed away when I was 4, he was 54 and a retired officer. The benefits we received made life for my single parent mom a lot easier. She still isn't married 36 years later cause she gets benefits and access to Commissary. Military really blessed our situation. Dad was orphaned during the Great Depression in rural Minnesota, adopted to Illinois as free farm labor, then joined the Navy at 18. Came through Hawaii on the way to Korea and said I'm living here after service.

When he was passing away (cancer), he told my mom to not let me join no matter what though.
My story is similar; my dad's GI bill paid my way through college.
 

SurfFuerteventura

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Sep 20, 2014
8,443
4,626
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Ribbit
I humbly disagree with fans deserving closure. Celebs and athletes don't owe their fans anything. By our own choice, we are simply watching them live their life, through the periscope of fandom. They've already given us amazing moments to remember, and stress relief from our normal dreary routines. Are we deserving of anything beyond that? Insight into their personal lives? Insight into their family and daily ups/downs? I would say no.

However, I understand that feeling of wanting closure.

1389887782000-soup-nazi.jpg

If you are a fan of anyone or anything,

NO SOUP FOR YOU!

Soup Nazi

-out
 

emmohl80

Nep status
Oct 17, 2010
685
510
93
I joined at 19. I remember my Dad saying he wished he stayed in and retired because 20 years goes by a lot faster than you think. And he was right. I blinked my eyes and am now looking at locking in lifetime benefits before I reach age 40.
Smart man! 20 yrs has fkn flown by!!
 
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Eimeo

OTF status
Oct 18, 2005
233
93
28
Encinitas
I humbly disagree with fans deserving closure.

Celebs and athletes don't owe their fans anything. By our own choice, we are simply watching them live their life, through the periscope of fandom. They've already given us amazing moments to remember, and stress relief from our normal dreary routines. Are we deserving of anything beyond that? Insight into their personal lives? Insight into their family and daily ups/downs? I would say no.

However, I understand that feeling of wanting closure.
Someone once opined to me that celebs wouldn't be celebs, and athletes would be watched or paid if there were not fans, so by that logic fans are the reason people gain public status. If that is the case, then perhaps you could argue that those fans are why the celebs are celebs and athletes are paid as professionals and to say they owe the fans nothing, seems perhaps a bit selfish. I might side with that logic personally, no one is famous unless there are people willing to pay attention to those people for their talents, so it would seem that there is a mutual and equitable exchange of value between both parties. So I humbly disagree that fans are not somehow part of the value exchange and therefore should have some closure to someone they invested their time and energy into. My $.02, but I see I am in the minority of that opinion here.
 

SurfFuerteventura

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Sep 20, 2014
8,443
4,626
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Ribbit
Fan bois and fairy followers just bat their wings and move on to pollenate the next famosos instatiktoktwittergram.

There's a lesson to be learned about yourself in that yearning for information regarding another person whom you've most likely never even met, or at most had a chance to get an autograph from at Malibu.

Only people who gets to know are friends and family. It's a testament to Sonny's that nothing is filtering out, especially in this faboi followers day and age.

:shameonyou:
 

oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
7,002
17,426
113
San Diego, CA
I agree with @r32 . He's a real person and his family doesn't owe us anything. He ain't a celebrity, he's just a former pro surfer. it's just their job as a professional athlete to entertain fans in their chosen sport. It's really only the last 20 years that athletes' personal lives have been offered up for public consumption to try to increase their "brand" for marketing opportunities. Still, most retire and you don't hear about them any more.
Regardless, what sort of closure could there be for you? From the last updates, I assume he is barely functioning, has lost motor skills, and needs tons of help for basic daily survival. Probably gonna be a long slow decline to the end- no closure for any one, especially those family caring for him. It is truly sad for he and his family... but the consequence of his botched suicide attempt.
 

bluemarlin04

Michael Peterson status
Aug 13, 2015
2,565
2,383
113
It’s super sad and prob a good case study in medical ethics.

Patient no longer wanted to live and attempts to take own life. Now is forced to live with care for survival.
 

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
14,207
10,416
113
33.8N - 118.4W
"Generals gathered in their masses...just like witches at black masses...evil minds that plot destructions...sorcerers of deaths construction."

"Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor, yeah"

When the Tigers Broke Free - Pink Floyd

Lyrics

It was just before dawn
One miserable morning in black 'forty four
When the forward commander
Was told to sit tight
When he asked that his men be withdrawn

And the Generals gave thanks
As the other ranks held back
The enemy tanks for a while
And the Anzio bridgehead
Was held for the price
Of a few hundred ordinary lives
 

Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,598
3,604
113
California/Hawaii
When the Tigers Broke Free - Pink Floyd

Lyrics

It was just before dawn
One miserable morning in black 'forty four
When the forward commander
Was told to sit tight
When he asked that his men be withdrawn

And the Generals gave thanks
As the other ranks held back
The enemy tanks for a while
And the Anzio bridgehead
Was held for the price
Of a few hundred ordinary lives
I always felt the second verse from the poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade" written by Lord Alfred Tennyson captures the one enduring truth of military service.

“Forward, the Light Brigade!”
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Someone had blundered.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.

Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
 

r32

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 1, 2005
18,087
9,765
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Cambria
Great reminder everyone should have a health care directive filled out. Get this done, for yourself and your loved ones. Take the stress off anyone having to make major decisions like whether or not to pull the plug.

No way I'd want to live like that.