BY STEPHANIE RUEFF
Ruben Velasco: a Marine, a brother, a son, a Bulldog. Last weekend, Bulldog Country received some sad news involving Class of 2016 graduate Ruben Velasco.
The Marine Corps released a statement about three Marines being lost at sea: “On August 6, around 3:00 a.m. Pacific time, the U.S Navy and Marine Corps suspended a search and rescue operation for the three Marines involved in the August 5 MV-22 Osprey mishap off the east coast of Australia.”
Once the news started spreading, many friends and family members started sharing memories of him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
“When I had found out the news that Ruben had gone missing, I was devastated, but I have hope that he will be found or that he would somehow make it back. Even when I saw that the search was called off, I still believed in my heart that Ruben would come back. This whole experience has been tragic and prayers go out to the Velasco family and his girlfriend Nicole,” alumni Blessing Ubani said.
Velasco was that one kid who always had a smile on his face. He loved sports and everyone around him knew that, including his many friends, some he has had since they were younger while others were added throughout his four years at WCHS. He was a dedicated athlete.
“He loved track and football. I know he’s been playing football since he was very little,” alumni Tatiana Sabanero said. “After the last day of league his senior year against Charter Oak, he cried and hugged Michael Gomez and said, ‘we have been doing this for years and now it’s over.’ You could definitely hear Ruben before you saw him. He was funny, nice, and had an amazing heart. Ruben was a good man surrounded by great people. One of the last things he told me was that he was happy I wanted to become an officer in the Air Force. In my yearbook, he wrote ‘I hope you will be like me and live life to the fullest and take care, love Ruben Velasco’. This is what I will truly aspire to do.”
Velasco spent his last few days before the accident celebrating his 19th birthday in Australia. He had posted a picture posing with some kangaroos and an emu.
”I had the pleasure of being teammates with Ruben in football and track,” Ubani said. “He always had this great energy to him that no one else could bring. He was often quiet, but whenever he opened his mouth he either was saying something funny or pumping us up. In football, we both played corner and started alongside each other for two years. We could always look to each other in games for a pick up. Then came track season; we were in the same relay. I was the third leg and he was the anchor, so I would pass him the baton. Ruben was a great guy and was loved by everyone around him. His presence will surely be missed. Love you, ‘Rubeydukes.’”
Richard Velasco, Ruben’s father, is asking everyone to keep their faith and to keep praying for Ruben to come home. He encourages others to use the pictures and the posts to fuel hope and to pray that he does return home.
“Ruben is a fighter, and no matter what how hard it is, I can’t count him out yet,” alumni Gabriel Alvarado, Velasco’s best friend, tweeted out.
Being a friend of the family and of Ruben, I want to leave this with the readers: “Ruben is loved by all: he has made connections with teammates, classmates, coaches, and teachers. We must all keep Ruben in our thoughts and keep praying for him until he is home. Remember Bulldogs, we run in packs. If one of us gets lost, we must all work together to bring them back.”
