St. Charles County honors fallen Marine
St. Charles leaders and residents came together on Friday, May 3, to honor Marine Corps. Sgt. Colin Arslanbas’s life. People lined Interstate 70 and provided a hero’s welcome that stretched from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to St. Charles County.
“In the early morning of April 19, 2024, we learned that our oldest son, Colin, died in a training accident off the coast of North Carolina the night before,” Nicole Arslanbas said in a statement. Afterward, it was a blur, Nicole said, with the family trying to plan a service for Colin’s fellow marines, and handling the logistics of bringing him home.
“Just weeks before Colin was set to deploy, he learned he was going to be a father,” Nicole said. “He was so excited and had so much life ahead of him. It brings us peace to know that Colin’s life, although cut short, was full of love and anticipation for the future.”
Mark Schmitz, the father of Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz — who died in a 2021 suicide bombing in Kabul – was a driving force behind urging people to line the roadways to support the family.
He encouraged everyone to come out and line the procession path as they had for Jared, and discussed the plans with Nicole before the memorial.
“I told her what we went through, and I said ‘this is one of the memories I will hold onto forever,’” Schmitz said. “To have the opportunity to witness your community come out and show the support and love that they do, is something that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life.”
Schmitz was determined to do whatever he could to help the family, stating, “They just need to worry about Colin.”
After the event, Nicole described it as healing and stated, “We’re thankful that our community showed up to help welcome him home, and also let us see the support we had from our community. Thousands of people lined the streets along the route from Lambert St. Louis Airport to St. Charles County. We are thankful for every person.”
“Though we will never understand why Colin had to leave us, we are forever grateful for the love and support shown to us during this time,” she said.
Missouri House Rep. Tricia Byrnes (R-District 63) noted the similarities in the turnout for Schmitz’s son and Colin.
“Everybody wants to do something to show honor and respect,” Byrnes said. “Sometimes it’s just two feet on the ground in the right place at the right time. That’s all that matters.”
Missouri House Rep. Wendy Hausman (R-District 65) spoke about her experiences with the Arslanbas family. Her son swam on the same swim team with Colin when they were children.
“This hits hard,” Hausman said.
The community echoed these sentiments as they lined the entrance to the funeral home and decorated the area with flags and memorial pictures of other fallen soldiers. Even though the motorcade suffered a delay, supporters remained, determined to support the family.
O’Fallon Alderwoman Linda Ragsdale (Ward 5) was adamant about the importance of showing up. Having been born into a gold star family, after the death of her uncle who served in Vietnam she said she was raised to honor those who serve.
“It’s for everybody in my family,” Ragsdale said. “I got here early and seeing the people show up and seeing what it means to people, (it) means a lot to me.”