Jesus Suarez del Solar was a 20-year-old Marine serving in Iraq when he stepped on
a U.S. cluster bomb and bled to death. The young Marine left behind a widow and a one-
year-old son who will never know his father. His death is also a brutal reality for his
two sisters, his mother and father, Fernando Suarez.
Fernando, who appears in “Beyond Babylon,” brought his family up in Escondido,
California because he wanted them to have the American dream.
After his son’s death, Fernando has become a determined, compassionate, tireless
peace activist. He’s spoken across the country and abroad about the importance of
learning from his son’s death. His rage and sorrow inspire all who hear him.
Crosses in memory of Casey Sheehan and Mike Mitchell, both killed in Iraq on April 4,
2004, also appear in “Beyond Babylon.” Casey’s mother, Cindy Sheehan and Mike’s
father, Bill Mitchell, despite the overwhelming grief and despair, have who have made it
their life work to speak out for peace so other families won’t have to go through the
devastating death of a child in Iraq. Cindy and Bill, along with other families, have
formed “Gold Star Families for Peace,” whose mission is to bring an end to the
occupation of Iraq and act as a support group for its families. This group is an offshoot
of “Military Families Speak Out.”
