200 Mourn Marine Killed in Crash

By the time Tony Gonzales finished planting small kisses on the coffin of his best friend, George Santos, the grief overtook him.

Tears poured down Gonzales’ anguished face and all he could say was “I’m so sorry” as he embraced Santos’ mother, Guadalupe.

“It’s not your fault,” she said, weeping silently.

Gonzales was among about 200 mourners gathered Tuesday at Resurrection Cemetery in Montebello to say goodbye to Santos, one of 19 Marines who were killed April 8 when their Osprey aircraft crashed in the Arizona desert and exploded into flames.

Four Ospreys were taking part in a training exercise on how to evacuate civilians from hostile areas. The aircraft are designed to lift off vertically like helicopters but fly like fixed-wing planes.

On Tuesday, the thoughts of friends and family were far from the fatal crash and focused instead on happier times.

The 19-year-old Santos, affectionately called Georgie, was remembered as a devoted son and friend who enjoyed swimming on his bodyboard and had a passion for baseball.

As a small child, the sometimes shy Santos played in the El Sereno Little League and later was chosen as an all-star for the West Long Beach Little League. Friends said he played a mean first base.

“He was real good,” said Alberto Guevara, who played on a Little League team with Santos.

Guevara said he can’t forget the summer of 1998 when Santos and friends were challenged to a game of football by a clique at Millikan High School, which he attended.

“They had college guys on their team, but George was like ‘We can take them!’ ” recalled Jorge Zelaya, 19.

The young team was defeated handily. But Santos emerged with two touchdowns and a ripped shirt. “He was real tough,” said Zelaya, holding a funeral program that showed a 2-year-old Santos clad in Superman pajamas.

In his early teens, Santos dreamed of becoming a police officer and believed a stint in the military would prepare him for that job. Friends said he gained inspiration from the movie “Saving Private Ryan.” He had two half brothers who served in the Army, but he was attracted to the challenge and travel adventures of the Marine Corps.

“He told me he was so happy, that he was doing what he loved,” said Lucy Castillo, who dated Santos in high school and who spoke to him about a month ago. He wanted to join the Long Beach Police Department after the Marines, she said.

Just two weeks before the crash, the Santos family had planned to spend Easter at a relative’s home in El Sereno, but Tuesday morning found them at All-Saints Catholic Church nearby preparing to bury one of their own.

“It’s a lot to take in,” said fellow Marine and close friend Andrew Holstine, who went through boot camp with Santos and helped escort the body to California. “But you have to work through it.”

“There’s always the possibility of danger,” said Santos’ older half brother, Antonio, who served in the Army. “He accepted that, but it’s nothing that you ever want to see come to pass.”