Words from a
Mother’s Heart
by Gold Star Mom Susan Poklar
fought over who loved each other the most. To me, Bret
was perfect.
Bret was very active in sports. He started playing travel
baseball when he was 8 years old, and traveled all over
to play against some really great teams. Through baseball, he was blessed to have friendships that lasted his
lifetime. Bret wrestled starting at 7 years old until 8th
grade, again friendships were formed that lasted forever.
Bret also played football for the Willoughby Wolfpack.
At 12 years old, with Bret as the quarterback, his team
won the National Championship for 12 year olds, in
Winston-Salem, NC, again, friendships with the boys
and their families have lasted a lifetime. Bret was smart,
handsome, athletic, and had hundreds of friends. People
were drawn to him. I truly thought that one day he
could run in politics, because how easy it was for him to
have friends. Starting as young as I can remember, he
hugged his friends. I have pictures going back as far as 5
year old baseball, with him hugging his buddy, Danny
My name is Susan Poklar. My Marine was/is Lcpl Bret Turosky. As the years went by, you would see it in every
Michael Poklar, my boy, my heart, my sunshine. I will picture with his friends, always a hug in the picture, alstart from the beginning.
ways a laugh, and his beautiful smile.
Bret has a brother, Jesse, who is 8 years older. Starting
about 6 years old, every Christmas and Birthday, I would
ask Jesse what he wanted for a present. Every single
time he said the same thing, "I want a baby brother." I
am not kidding, he never stopped asking for a brother.
Bret was born on December 11, 1990. I was in labor 26
hours with him. Jesse and Bret's father, Terry, stayed at
the hospital with me the whole time. The minute Bret
was born, I was in love. Jesse cried because he finally got
his little brother he had wanted so much. From that very
day, Jesse adored his brother, and was always so proud
of him.
I was blessed with the fact that I was able to be a housewife, and be able to stay home with the boys. Every day
we went somewhere and laughed and hugged, and
Bret cold have gone to college or work with his Dad in
his concrete business. But he decided to enter the Marines. The day he went to boot camp, I cried my eyes
out. The 12 weeks he was gone, was awful. We weren't able to talk to him, but the letters we receiv