“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for
he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
- Gen. Douglas McArthur
Exactly a week ago, CPT MARK ZEMBER
GAMBOA was laid to rest in his hometown in San Jose, Oriental Mindoro. I was
not there when he was finally lowered down to his grave but I can just imagine the
sadness and tears that must have engulfed all of his loved ones. I was there
the night before he was to be taken to his final resting place and I had the
chance to see him for the last time. In death, Mark was as peaceful as he was
when he was still alive. His face was devoid of any anguish or suffering. All I
saw was the calmness and 'coolments" that have always defined him as a person.
I got the shocking news of Mark’s
death early in the morning of Sunday, August 31, from our Mistah, Rey Zamora.
The text was short “Mistah Kia si Gamboa”. I was startled. I did not believe it
at first so I called somebody from his unit in Basilan, Irvin Capena, wishing
and praying that the news was just another hoax. After all, there had been many
instances when “one minute prayer” text messages would circulate containing
familiar name or names. Irvin confirmed it. I offered prayers for him and then
immediately relayed the sad news to our classmates. Everyone was shocked. I
then scanned the latest news to check what exactly transpired as information
that reached me then was still sketchy and hazy. The following day, Monday,
several newspapers already carried the shocking news:
Soldier killed in clash with Abu Sayyaf
MANILA -- An Army Special Forces officer was killed in a clash with members of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf in Lantawan, Basilan on Saturday night. The victim was identified as Capt. Mark Zember Gamboa, commander of the Army's 14th Special Forces Company under the 4th Special Forces Battalion. A military report said Gamboa and his men were on a combat patrol at the vicinity of Basak Tiki in Barangay Calagusan when the fighting broke out with an undetermined number of terrorists at around 6:20 p.m. The terrorists were led by one Halang, alias Commander Jeck. It was not clear whether anyone from the terrorist group was killed or injured. Gamboa, a member of the Junior Chamber International-Basilan, Inc. (JCI), died from gunshot wounds.“He died in the line of duty, serving the community he has grown to love and care for. He will be missed. His selflessness and friendship will be remembered,” the JCI said of Gamboa, a native of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 08/31/2014 6:35 PM | Updated as of 08/31/2014 6:35 PM
It was really sad seeing Mark’s
lifeless body but it was more painful to see his parents’ grief over the death
of their beloved son. I was teary- eyed when
I held his mother’s hands who lamented how she already lost three of her four
children. Her daughter died when she was just two years of age while another
son died five years ago due to a vehicular accident. She has only a child left-
a young one at that, who couldn’t possibly fathom the depth of anguish that her
parents were going through. Her mom kept asking me “Bakit si Mark pa? Napakabait na bata nya para mamatay nang maaga”.
In between sobs, she told me who Mark was as a son, a brother and a person. He
has always been a very dutiful and loving son. He was never arrogant or
boastful despite his achievements in his field. He usually stayed at home
whenever he had breaks from field duty. Rest and Recreation (RnRs) were spent
with the family. Whenever he is was in town, he would shed off his military
uniform and simply wander around in ordinary clothes or slippers. Except
perhaps for his immediate family and closest friends, nobody knew that Mark
belonged to the elite Special Operations Command (SOCOM). He has hurdled with
flying colors both the Special Forces Operations Course (SFOC) in Fort
Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, and the Scout Ranger Course in Camp Tecson in Bulacan.
These are two of the toughest trainings in the Philippine Army. He completed
these two courses as if they were the most ordinary subjects- no sweat, no
amount. If I am not mistaken, he was even sent to Indonesia to get his Wings
(airborne).
 |
| No Amount: Mark got these tabs 'no sweat' because he loved what he did. |
Mark was a very unassuming person.
When we were cadets, he was known for his cool demeanor. He was a very silent
man except on occasions when he talked about something in class or during our
exercises. I don’t recall any instance of him getting furious at something. He
was already immaculate-looking while all of us were still rotting as underclass
cadets. When we graduated, I was not at
all surprised when he got several awards namely the Social Sciences Plaque and
the Information Sciences Plaque (I hope my memory serves me right). I would
learn later from her mother that he finished BS in Computer Science from
Adamson University in Manila (I hope I remembered it correctly) before asking
her mother’s permission to enter the PMA.
On the walls of their humble dwelling
hang the numerous certificates and honors Mark brought to his family. Although
he was turned- back for a year (he was originally from Class 2005), he excelled
in academics and conduct. He was as we say "cool-na-cool' but he was very diligent and focused with his studies. He earned Dean’s List and Commandant’s List several
times during our cadetship. He was indeed a promising young man, a pride of his
family and the town where he came from.
His father tried to be as strong as
he can. He shook my hands firmly perhaps to convey the pain that he felt upon
losing his son. Mark was like a brother to him. He hoped Mark would take care
of the family when he and his wife become old. I gripped his hands and expressed
my sincerest condolences in behalf of other Mistah who were not able to make it
to Mark’s wake. He thanked me as he tried to put on a brave face in spite of
their mourning. Now that I am a father myself, I could just imagine the kind of
suffering a father would have over the loss of his child. I tried to hold back
my tears as I told him how good his son was. His son’s death was unfathomable
and I know deep in my heart that he and his wife would never get over it throughout
their life. My parents would have certainly felt the same way. I would have
felt the same way. It was just unthinkable and unacceptable.
Her fiancé was as distraught. Like
Mark’s parents, she tried to put on a brave front but I saw the same pain in
her eyes- the sadness of losing somebody you loved dearly, of being left behind
by someone whom you wanted to build your future with, and somebody whom you dreamt
of growing old with. Now all she has are good memories of Mark.
Before I left that night, I said good
bye to Mark for the ‘first and the last time’. Had he been alive, we would have
just smiled and said “SIge Mistah, ingat ka”. That was just how he was, simple.
He left the world peacefully amidst a not-so-peaceful circumstance. When he was
alive, he fought for peace, ironically with the use of arms. I know he had
touched many lives in and out of work. I wouldn’t be surprised to know that a
lot of people grieved over his early demise. He was a loss not only to his family
but to our country. He belongs to “a few good men” that our country needs badly
these days. I know he had better ideas in pursuing peace but he did what every
soldier is tasked to do. He fulfilled what he was sworn into- to defend our
country and protect the people, even at the cost of his own life.
Mark left behind memories of friendship
and love, and a legacy of gallantry against all odds. Like other Mandala Warriors Dhell Jhun Evangelista,
Dolan Cordero, Mark Evan Onrubia, Ermin Soloren, Roldan Samera, Eugene
Piñera and Angelica Valdez, he offered the supreme sacrifice for
the love of the country. He dedicated his life to what he believed he was made
and born for.
Rest now Brother…in Peace.
