On March 27, 2003, Fernando Suarez del Solar, a Mexican-born resident of Escondido, CA was speaking against the U.S. war in Iraq. On the same day, his only son, Marine Lance Corporal Jesus A. Suarez del Solar Navarro, 20, stepped on a U.S. landmine in Iraq and became one of the first American servicemen to be killed in the war.  A member of Military Families Speak Out, a national advocacy group of over 600 families, Suarez has traveled around the country speaking out against the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

In December, 2003 he visited Iraq with the human rights group Global Exchange and a group of military families to listen to the needs and desires of the Iraqi people. He returned home to meet with Congress, UN officials and the media, and to call for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Suarez sees no contradiction between supporting the troops and being against the war. When he visited Iraq in December, he brought thousands of letters of peace and love from U.S. children -- for both the American troops and for Iraqi children. "My heart goes out to the soldiers, many of whom come from poor communities and joined the military as a way to get an education," Suarez says. "America doesn’t need more heroes … it needs more students."

Suarez has received criticism for his outspoken anti-war stance from all corners, from his in-laws and other immigrants who have called him unpatriotic to military families who support the war. But he refuses to be silenced.  He set up a group to provide psychological counseling for Hispanic families who have loved ones serving in the military or have suffered the loss of a family member.  A passionate and persuasive speaker, his greatest interest is working with young people, particularly Hispanic youth. He is deeply troubled by the military's heavy recruitment of Hispanic youth in low-income communities. “Mr. Suarez is a new kind of American hero,” says Jorge Mariscal, Literature Professor at UC San Diego. “Undaunted by the pain of his loss and the obstacles that confront him, Fernando Suarez del Solar continues his journey for peace. He has no doubt that his son Jesus would be proud of him.”   Suarez has created a foundation in his son's name to teach young people about the harsh reality of military service and to provide them with modest scholarships that will help them pursue alternative careers.

Prior to his son's death, Suarez, 48, lived a quiet life in Escondido, California, where he had emigrated from Tijuana with his wife and children in 1997. He made a modest living working as a cashier at a 7/11 store and delivering newspapers.  Through his courageous stand against the war his son fought, Suarez demonstrates that even in great personal loss, people can oppose war by inspiring others.