It is with much sadness that we must report, our unit Suburban aka “The Burb” has driven its final mile. Thank you, you have served us well.
The unit Suburban (1999) was our “go to” vehicle and used to transport Young Marines and staff to and from color guards and community service events to support our veterans. It was purchased “used” in 2009 with funds donated to the unit by a private supporter.
On April 1st, also Easter Sunday AND April Fool’s Day, which makes this story even more ironic, the Suburban was used to transport staff and Young Marines to the MODA Center in Portland to perform color guard for the Portland Trail Blazers v Memphis Grizzlies game. The ride over was uneventful, color guard was performed flawlessly, the game was attended, the Trail Blazers won 113-98, YAY!!! We packed up our gear and headed home. At approximately 8:30 pm Mr. Wright (driver) and Mrs. Crawford noticed smoke, then flames, coming from under the hood. Mr. Wright immediately pulled the vehicle over while at the same time, the vehicle just shut down.
Staff instantly evacuated the Young Marines to a safe location away from the vehicle, and then called 911 and the Unit Commander. “No this isn’t an April Fools joke, the Suburban is really on fire and we need a ride.” 
When the fire department and police arrived, the vehicle was engulfed in smoke with flames still coming from under the hood and one tire had exploded. Traffic was stopped in both directions and the MAX train was stopped on the tracks due to smoke. The fire department was able to quickly extinguish the fire, but the vehicle was a total loss and was towed back to the unit. The cause if the fire is still undetermined.
We are proud to say, our Young Marines exemplified Young Marine Creed #5 – “Remember having self-discipline will enable me to control my body and mind in case of an emergency.” We were on a busy 4-lane street, on a bridge, in the dark, in the cold with no shelter in site. Our Young Marines followed instructions, stayed calm and did not complain about the cold or anything for that matter.
When something like this happens, it is so easy to focus on the negatives. But these are the positives that came out of this event for which we are very thankful:
- No Young Marines or staff were injured, not even a scratch. Everyone slept in their own beds that night.
- No other drivers, bystanders, fireman or police officers were injured.
- Our Young Marines were tested and excelled in self discipline and self control.
- No color guard gear, backpacks or uniforms were lost.
- They didn’t choose to take the Interstate 5 route. Had this happened on I-5 at higher speeds, the outcome could have been much different.
- It wasn’t raining while they were waiting to be picked up, just chilly. It had been raining off and on all day; adding rain to the cold would have been miserable.
- Last but not least, we are thankful for our Unit Commander, Mr. Devin Lewis, Adjutant, Mrs. Kristine Lewis & FSA, Miss Holly Lewis who dropped everything to rescue our stranded Young Marines and staff.
We are now in search of another “Suburban-like” vehicle, that carries at least 8 people plus color guard gear, so we can continue to perform our color guards and support our community like we always have. Any leads on that can be sent to Mr. Devin Lewis, Unit Commander at: Admin@LCYM.ORG