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Published on Friday, October 22, 2004
in the Stuart News
PALM CITY -- Mark Zook cradled the folded American flag in his left arm and wiped his eyes with his right during graveside services Thursday for his 24-year-old Marine son, who died last week during a mortar attack in Iraq.
Cpl. Ian T. Zook, an 18-year Port St. Lucie resident, died Oct. 12 in Iraq's Al Anbar province, and was buried Thursday afternoon at Forest Hills Memorial Park off Murphy Road.
Scott Bartal, who's known the Marine since Zook's childhood, said the native of Peoria, Ill., would want to be remembered as a good son and friend and a man who loved God.
"He always looked up to law enforcement as his heroes," said Bartal, a Port St. Lucie police captain. "He's become one of my heroes."
Mark Zook, who clutched his wife's hand, is a 19-year veteran Florida Highway Patrol trooper. About 50 of his fellow troopers attended the services, under a bright sky with light breeze.
"Ian died fighting for what he believed in," said Lt. Tim Frith, FHP spokesman. "The flag waves and the eagle flies thanks to the men and women that stood and fought like Ian did."
Marine Cpl. Justin Jett attended high school with Zook and helped fold the flag that covered his casket.
Jett recalled Zook's academic excellence at Faith Baptist School in Fort Pierce where Zook graduated in 1999 as a valedictorian -- two years before joining the Marines.
"You hear about it all the time on the news, you just never think that it would happen," Jett said. "Of all the people there, what are the chances that it would happen to somebody that you know?"
An 11 a.m. funeral at Westside Baptist Church in Fort Pierce that preceded the graveside drew about 400 mourners, officials said.
Bartal said one thing expressed there was that Zook wrote home and said he wasn't afraid of dying. Zook said that it if did happen, he knew he would go home to his Lord, Bartal said.
Motorcycles and FHP cruisers led the procession into the cemetery about 1 p.m., where six Marines carried out the flag-draped casket. Another group of Marines fired a 21-gun salute as the haunting sound of drifted through the air.
Terry Brent said he first met Zook when he was 6, after moving to the area from Colorado, describing him as a "solid friend" and a "strong Christian."
"He loved Jesus Christ as his savior. He fought for him and died for him. I've never been so proud of anyone in my life," Brent said. "He's definitely my hero."
Zook was a fire team leader, assisting Iraqi forces trying to establish peace and security in the country. He was scheduled to return to the United States in late February or early March.
"The purpose of what you saw today is nothing but a small token of what we as a Marine Corps can do to honor our fallen warriors," said Lt. Col. Peter Ahern.
"We take very seriously our business, and the business of honoring our heroes is near and dear to our hearts."