Made in Japan, Born in California, Raised in Oklahoma
(That's how Guy Jr. put it) 

OOOHHHUU!!!  That's how it all began, My Wife Carol wakes me up at 1200 
midnight, says IT'S Time. Its time for what I wonder, then it hits me 
like a rock. My son is about to be born. We head to the base hospital, 
about 10 miles away. You see we live in Oceanside, California, and if 
you haven't figured it out yet I am a Marine at Camp Pendleton. We 
practiced this many times before. But this time it is different. 
It is for Real. Carols water broke at the door to the hospital and I 
am so worried, is that supposed to happen (I think to myself). 
I guess my Mother-in-law senses my fears, and assures me it is normal. 
How am I supposed to know we are both just 20 years old. 12 hours is a 
long time. You get to do a lot of thinking, you see I never thought this 
day would  come. We were stationed in Okinawa Japan. A scary place for 
some nineteen year olds. Carol and I decided it was time to start a 
family. A good idea we thought, but not Gods plan. God  decided we 
weren't ready yet and we get our first setback since we were married,  
a miscarriage, a true test of Faith. We recovered  from that horrible 
experience and that was how Guy Jr. Came up with made in Japan. Because 
he was conceived there. Anyway 12 hours is a long time. Then it happens 
12:38 on October 16 1977, in Camp Pendleton California, Guy Daniel 
Rutherford Jr. Was born. Thank You Lord.

It is such a joy to have a Son. My God how perfect he is. Little fingers 
and toes. Little everything. Well almost everything, He is like his Father. 
Oh what a joy. But why does he cry all the time and throw up all the time, 
with such great force? Throwing up is so dear to me now, my son, as every 
father has done, is hanging above my head as I lay on the floor, he's 
an airplane, he's Superman, he's, he's, throwing up in my mouth . Oh I 
think I will be sick. Where is that wife of mine, your Mother. Carol. 
Carol. Help me PLEASE.. At  1 month old we find out why. Pyloric Stanosis. 
It is a defect between the stomach an the intestines. Surgery no please 
no. He is just 1 month old. 

He looks so small so helpless strapped to that bed. A Cut Down, what 
the heck is that? The Doctor explains, a small incision on his ankle 
to put the IV in because he has no veins yet. Does it hurt? I don't 
care what the Doctors say, I know it does. Did the Doctor really mean 
it when he said a 50/50 chance of survival? Oh God why? Such a funny 
little scar on this tummy, (Note for latter)  it looks like an appendix 
scar. And you can hardly notice the one on his ankle. Thank You God for 
being there for us again.

Guy Jr. lived in California for 2 years then moved to Tulsa, after his 
Dad finished the Marine Corps. Guy Jr. had a sister, Christina that 
was 2 years younger than him. They had their moments, but he loved her 
very much and would do anything for her. Dad she's touching me ., he 
would say . How many parents have ever heard that. Christina was so 
proud of her big brother, but would not have ever wanted him to know that. 

Guy Jr.  went to Disney Elementary School. He started playing 
teeball when he was 5 years old. He went to Foster Middle School from 
6th Grade to 8th Grade. He was still playing ball and then decided to 
play football. He played football for 5 years. He was left handed 
and loved playing first base and  was very good, until they found out 
he could pitch even better. He was a left handed pitcher that hit right 
handed. People started noticing that he was a very good pitcher and that 
he could even hit good also. Everyone that saw Guy  Jr. play ball said 
that he would definitely be playing in the major leagues.. He never lost 
interest in baseball and always thought that he would still make it to 
the Major Leagues. His mother played catch with him quite often till he 
started throwing so hard that she would come in the house with busted 
blood vessels all in her hand. The last time she played catch with him 
was at his grandma's in the field  the weekend before the accident, and 
he busted her in the knee, twice in the same place. She'll never forget it.



Guy Jr. was introduced to drugs in the 9th or 10th grade and he gradually 
quit playing ball.He went into 12 & 12 drug treatment. He lied his way 
out early so he got no real help. He was suffering from major paranoia, 
but couldn't see it. He thought everyone was after him. He went to 
NOCA (a drug rehab for adults) and was there for about a week when he 
heard from Thunderbird Academy. He went up there but did not pass the 
drug test so he went back to NOCA. He cried all the way back. He really 
thought that the Thunderbird Academy was what would help him get his 
life on track, but they wouldn't accept him. It was the first time I had 
seen him cry as a man. It hurt so bad, but there was nothing I could do.  
He finished his drug treatment .


He got kicked out of school in the 11th grade and then he never went back.
This was because a bad choice of friends. Another kid lit a bathroom 
trash can of fire, and Guy Jr. Did nothing about it.The phone call came 
when I was eating at Taco Bueno with the other men at our  fire station. 
We did that sometimes because we didn't like to cook all the time. Guy the 
other voice on the phone said, Yes.  We are at East Central and your Son 
is involved in a fire here at school. Hard to take when you are a Fire 
Captain of 16 years. The court case lasted for ever, about a year and a 
half. At the end of all the things you go through, with a child in the 
system, the Judge came off the bench and shook Guy Jr's. Hand and said 
"Young man the changes you have made in your life are evident. It is a 
case like this that makes it all worth wild." And the change was for real.


Guy Jr. Was a little quiet about his Love Life. Oh sure we knew of his 
girlfriends. But one stood by him through thick and thin. We had talked 
about them getting married, and making us Grandparents, in the not so 
distant future. It wasn't until latter that we got to read the letters 
that they wrote to each other. Oh how I remember how love felt at the age 
of seventeen, when his Mother and I got married. When we are older we 
just always think they are to young. Now one of the nagging thoughts  
that Haunt me are that I will not have my son to give the name that I 
gave to him, not knowing at the time even how much it meant to me, to 
pass on to his Son. Oh what a terrible loss. To read those letters of 
their Love for each other and the letter that his love, Mandy , wrote to 
us afterwards are almost to much to bear.

Guy learned his work ethics early in life. We have a lawn business and 
Guy Jr. Was and will always be the best help I will ever have. I remember
getting on to him one day for getting in the truck before everything was 
put up. From then on he never got in the truck before I did. He hated to 
mow but didn't like to have me do it by myself. He always tried to get me 
to quit. He was always worried about me getting to tired or worse. He 
would tell his Mother that Dad is so gripe when he mows, why don't he 
quit! He would, without even being asked, mow our yard because he 
didn't want me to do it. It is very hard for me to do now. I have a 
hard enough time mowing other peoples lawns, let alone do something 
that my son has done every since he was old enough to start up a mower. 
It sure is a bad time every time I mow our yard.
I will never be able to mow another lawn without thinking about my son.


On April the 8th Guy Jr. Went to work with his two uncles at R L 
Hensley Construction. His uncle Roger, my sisters husband, helped  
him  get his job.  There he worked with my youngest  brother Tommy also. 
Guy Jr. was the only one that ever got to call him Tom.  Oh the stories 
they tell of his antics and how they were getting to know this young 
nephew of theirs. I was a little jealous of the time (quality time) they 
spent with him. He loved his job. He finally felt like he belonged 
somewhere, finally had his life together. He was starting to mature like 
a man should, working hard, sweating, getting dirty. Knowing the value 
of money. Two nights before the accident  Guy Jr. Went to K-Mart to get 
a belt for work. He came back with two and was so proud to have only pay 
$10 dollars for both of them. He had just bought  his own car, a 1988 
Ford Bronco II. He was so proud. We  were in the process of putting a 
stereo in it the weekend before his death. We had mixed emotions about 
selling it. His Sister decided she would like to have it. She took her 
driving test in it on June 24th. She passed and was so happy, she doesn't 
drive unless it is to go to school. The thought of driving scares her 
as much as it does us. NOT HARDLY if she only knew how much of us dies 
every time she gets behind that wheel. You see Guys Mom watched Guy Jr. 
drive off to work one day and never come back home. 


He had worked at R L Hensley for only about  6 weeks when he was ran 
over by a semi truck on the highway, delivering parts. The cop that did 
the scene had a closed mind and blamed the accident on Guy, but we knew 
better. Then a lady called to tell us that she saw the accident and that 
it was not Guy's fault, that he was ran over by a rock hauler. The cop 
did not even write her testimony in his report. After she called we went 
down to look at Guy's truck and sure enough, there were rubber tire marks 
all down the left side of the truck. He really was ran over by another 
truck. The cop went down and looked at the truck (he never even looked 
at the truck at the scene) and saw for himself the rubber marks on 
Guy's truck.  

Guy's last couple of years of his life were rough, but he did alot of 
growing up in the last few months of his life.  In February Guy decided 
to give his Life to the Lord. There is no greater Joy than to know that 
our children walk with the Lord. I asked him many time if he was ready 
and he said "Dad, I am not through having fun yet and when I get Baptised 
I will have to live right and stop having fun." A little off track but 
still in the right direction.  He came to the Lord and was baptised and 
saved his soul. He was on the right track and things were going great 
then the accident happened and he was taken away.


I could go on forever about our son. But the most important thing 
for anyone to know about Our Son Guy Daniel Rutherford Jr. Is that 
he Was and Is our SON.

I only look to the Lord for all the answers, some I will not be 
privy to till I am joined with my son for eternity. Oh God help us 
make it through this life. Help us change the things that are 
changeable in the raising of our daughter Christina.

Tell Guy I  Love Him Always.

Guy's Dad