A 70-year-old veteran of the US Marine Corps has proven real American heroes do exist today. He gave up his life in order to save a restaurant worker from an armed and violent criminal during a robbery in California.
Heroic Self-Sacrifice
Former US Marine Robert Sundin’s selfless act, which saved the life of restaurant worker Teresa Brasher at the cost of his own life, demonstrated that self-sacrificial heroism remains alive in today’s America.
That’s even as the values of courage and bravery for the sake of rescuing others appear to have been waning.
The incident that claimed Sundin’s life, but also imparted eternal glory to his name, occurred on a Thursday morning at a restaurant in Vallejo, California. An armed robbery was attempted early in the day, Fox News reported.
The venue, Scotty’s Restaurant, is located at Tennessee and Tuolumne Streets. The former US Marine would go there and have breakfast at 5:30 am every morning.
Robert Sundin was a married father and an employee of the Veterans’ Administration healthcare system. The account of his heroic deed was told by Teresa Brasher, the woman crediting him with saving her life.
The morning the armed robbery attempt occurred, she saw a man wearing a ski mask and a hoodie arriving on an electric scooter. The perpetrator came to her door and pointed at her. She realized he was pointing at her purse.
At the time, however, Brasher could not figure out whether he was pointing at her with his finger or with a gun.
It was at that point that Sundin, who was arriving for his early morning breakfast, came out of his vehicle. As the former US Marine intervened, he was grabbed by the robber. Sundin tried pulling away, but a gunshot went off.
The shooter then escaped immediately. Unfortunately, the first responders found the courageous elderly man dead on the scene.
Rest In Peace, Marine. 🇺🇸🙏😞@USMC Veteran Robert Sundin, 70, gave his life this week in California defending a restaurant worker from another lawless, armed robber in a lawless State. Please pray for his family! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/pq3zfoix9t
— Liberty Points 🇺🇸 (@libertypoints) December 18, 2022
“He’s always going to be my guardian angel for life.” @USMC veteran Robert Sundin died a hero, says Teresa Brasher, longtime server at Scotty’s Restaurant. Sundin, her regular customer, was shot dead while protecting her from apparent robber. @VallejoPd case. 4,5,6,7 p.m. @KTVU pic.twitter.com/0T16yvNvKe
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) December 12, 2022
‘Such a Wonderful Man’
“He saved my life,” Brasher said, adding he would always be her “guardian angel for life.”
She described him as the type of person who would sacrifice himself to help others. The restaurant worker added God “wasn’t ready” for her yet, but heaven already “had a place for Bob.”
As a regular at Scotty’s, the former US Marine would take the same seat every early morning and read the newspaper while the staff prepared his regular order.
Nay Ung, the owner of Scotty’s Restaurant, said losing Sundin was really hard because he was “such a wonderful man.” He described the armed robbery victim as someone who would immediately make one feel comfortable in a conversation.
The former US Marine also volunteered at a church in Fairfield, California, the First Assembly of God.
According to his pastor, Eric Lura, the now fallen American hero would always arrive first and leave last and always serve to meet the church’s needs.
This article appeared in The State Today and has been published here with permission."God wasn't ready for me, but they had a place for Bob up there." @USMC veteran Robert Sundin died a hero, says Teresa Brasher, longtime server at Scotty’s Restaurant. Sundin, her regular customer, was shot dead while protecting her from an apparent robber. @VallejoPd on the case pic.twitter.com/idQQgn5Tst
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) December 13, 2022
