2 Californians Die as Vehicle Overturns Into Canal in Iraq
Army Pfc. Lyndon Marcus Jr., a soldier with a tenor voice, an entertainer’s spirit and the dream of becoming a world-famous R&B; singer, felt the sting of loneliness as he served in Iraq.
“He was wondering whether anyone cared that he was there,” said his sister, Keil Marcus, 19. “He was not getting mail because it took so long. He would call at strange times, and we would miss his calls.”
About two weeks ago, she said, he called and gave her the name of a school for the arts. “He wanted to perfect his music talent, so he said, ‘Keil, call them, give them my Social Security number so they can send me a pamphlet.’ ” She said she would, but warned him it “might take awhile” with the slow mail.
In a letter she received Monday, her brother put aside his loneliness to encourage her through a rough patch. “Don’t ever give up. When times get rough, look up in the sky and call me, and look up and listen and you’ll hear me say, ‘Look where I’m at. Do you see me quitting?’ ” he wrote. “Don’t give up the fight, ‘cause I’m your bro, and I’m not a quitter, and neither are you.”
More than a month old, the letter arrived the day casualty officers notified his family in Long Beach that 21-year-old Lyndon Marcus had been killed along with three other soldiers when their military vehicle left the road and flipped over in a canal near the town of Balad. They were members of the 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division in Vilseck, Germany.
Marcus graduated in 2001 from Jordan High School in Long Beach, where he sang in the International Choir and starred in musical theater productions, including “Fame” and “The Wiz.”
“He excelled in the male lead, particularly in roles where the lead gets the girl -- the Romeo,” said Robert Browning, his performing arts teacher at Jordan. “He was a very handsome young man. He told me he was going to be a big recording star, that he wanted to be a famous singer. That was his dream.”
Marcus joined the Army Reserves shortly after high school and surprised his family by enlisting full time in 2002. His father, Lyndon Marcus Sr., had served in the Army, and his grandfather in the Air Force. But relatives said that, apart from a sense of duty and a family tradition, his enlistment was something of a mystery given his goals. He had recently toured and recorded a video to promote a promotional CD with a single called “Hit Me Up.”
Marcus and his sister were raised by their mother, Suzette James, 42, and stepfather, Donald James, 56.
Marcus was a natural ham, who, as a child, surprised his family at a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration when he won a medal in a dance contest. “He was doing Michael Jackson or something. He liked being in front of people,” his stepfather said. “If he was here right now, he would be singing for you.”
Marcus also is survived by his half sister, Tynesia Boyea, 26, and half brother, Adonis Marcus, 14 .
Services will be later this week at One Lord One Faith One Baptism Christian Church in Long Beach. The day and time have not been determined.
Marcus will be buried with full military honors at Riverside National Cemetery.
Times staff writer Nancy Wride contributed to this report.
