The Few the Proud, the Marines
This afternoon as we ate lunch in Irvine, California, we noticed a young man seated across the way before we sat down to eat. As we hung out and ate, we noticed the man was still sitting in the same spot by himself. All in all, we were there approximately a good hour and a half. Before leaving, we noticed he was still sitting there. What in the world is he waiting for, I thought to myself. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a young woman motion over to the young man sitting at the table. I approached the young man and said to him, “now I know why you’re sitting here. You’re waiting on a lady friend!” He said, “not a friend, she’s my wife.” He went on to state that he is a United States Marine.
I asked him if he had served in Iraq. He stated that he had and was scheduled to return in the near future. His name was Corporal Tucker serving in the United States Marines. He told us some stories from his experiences in Iraq. Two other brothers approached the young Marine to thank him for his dedicated service to our country. We encouraged him in the Lord Jesus Christ and told him that at Faith Community Church we pray for our Marines, soldiers, and sailors! As this independence Day approaches, we remember the cost of the freedom we still enjoy here in America. The Lord has blessed this country with men like Corporal Tucker, who are willing to put their lives on the line! You are all in our prayers warriors!
Corporal Tucker mentioned that he knew what he was doing when he chose to enlist in the Marines! He further stated that the media does not accurately report what goes on in Iraq. We salute our service members and remember you in our prayers! Well was it said about our Marines that “uncommon valor, was a common virtue.” Send us your prayer requests, send us your stories and photos! Place your trust in the great Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ! OOOOOOOOOOH RAAAAAAAAAAAH Marines! Semper Fidelis is the motto of our Marines, but remember that Semper Fidelis is He who calls sinners out of darkness into His marvelous light!
Blessings to you Corporal Tucker, keep us posted, you are in our prayers along with your family and the rest of our service members!
18 Comments, Comment or Ping
agogley
Great post Mario.
Jun 30th, 2008
Johnny B
Where would we be without men like, Corporal Tucker. May God draw them into His glorious service.
Jun 30th, 2008
Jimmy Li
Hey there Mario,
The general readers might not realized it but Mario is a Marine himself who has served our country.
Thanks for putting this entry, as we need to remember to pray for those in Iraq and still serving our country.
Some of our guys have gone through quite a bit.
Your brother in Christ and another Marine,
SEMPER FI
Jun 30th, 2008
Mario
Jimmy! How’s it going brother! I’ll never forget that day at the Mosque! You had just returned from Iraq! That was one crazy day. Blessings to you, say hello to Andrew……In Grace…..SEMPER FI
Jun 30th, 2008
Agilius
With all due respect, hero, could you please not pull a Geraldo Rivera by exposing the locations and personal info of our servicemen?
Jul 1st, 2008
Mario Herrera
watchu talkin bout Agilius?
Jul 1st, 2008
Travis
I know I appreciate your prayers, and I pray for my counter parts serving with me.
I might be heading back over to afghanistan in a couple months, gotta finish kicking butt then taking names.
great post, this post encourages me to continue to do what the Lord has for me to do, preach the gospel to the military, thanks Mario.
Jul 1st, 2008
Mario Herrera
Amen Travis! You are a minister of God where He calls you! Never compromise. Onward Christian Soldier! May God surround with his hedge! Look forward to hanging out with you sometime!
Jul 1st, 2008
Agilius
Mario,
You never know what an unscrupulous fellow might do with the knowledge you’ve provided.
Likewise, Geraldo Rivera didn’t pay close attention to what he was saying, and he put our servicemen in danger.
Jul 1st, 2008
Glen
Agilius,
As a fellow service member I appreciate your concern. However, from an OPSEC standpoint Mario did not release anything that is not public information under the Freedom of Information Act.
Mario,
Thanks for the post and we must always keep every Airman, Soldier, Sailor, and Marine in our prayers. Having been there I know that it is appreciated.
Travis,
I hope your trip home went well, I enjoyed meeting you when you were in town. God bless my friend.
Jul 2nd, 2008
Agilius
Glen,
True enough; Though an unscrupulous fellow might not take certain occasions unless they present themselves.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Jul 2nd, 2008
Denise
Great post Mario! We love Stonefire Grill too. AWESOME BBQ chop salad with Tri-trip. =)
Ok enough about the food.
Its neat to hear stories of people starting up conversations with others around them. I think that encourages us to do the same. I bet Corporal Tucker was encouraged. My brother-in-law was in Iraq for a year with the Army National Guard and he said the same thing; the media just isn’t reporting what’s going on. There are definitly issues, but there are good things too.
We should all put out our flags for Independance Day. I think I’ll put our’s out today. =)
I’m often reminded, though, how far this nation is from God and just how immoral its getting (I live in S. Cal). So for me, its a bittersweet day–glad I live here, but frustrated and saddened by the downgrade. I wonder what the Founding Fathers would think if they could witness sodomit unions and government bail-outs for house mortgages?
At any rate, this occassion you had, reminded me of a verse I heard mentioned in a sermon recently:
Col 4:3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison–
Col 4:4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
Col 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, MAKING THE BEST USE OF THE TIME.
Col 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Jul 3rd, 2008
Reformed Mama
Hey Mario~
Thanks for your service and for another great encouraging post…thank you also Travis and Glen plus many, many other fine Americans who have given selflessly for our safety and freedom!!!!
Happy Independence Day All =)…
Denise…I’m with you in all that you said…we are putting up a brand new flag outside right now!!
Agilius…rest in God’s Sovereignty!
Jul 3rd, 2008
Mario
Happy Independence Day!
May the LORD bless our troops! May our troops also bless God!
Jul 4th, 2008
Mario
Agilius,
I have made adjustments to the post. I do see your point. Thanks
Jul 4th, 2008
Chris
Well hello to all I am the young man that Mario met that Sunday. I appreciate what your church family is doing for me and my brothers. We appreciate all of your prayers and continual support. I hope that you all know that the whole reason that I do what I do is so that you don’t have to and also in hopes of your young ones not having to in the future. I can speak for all Marines and other service members when I say that. We only do it because we want to and not because we have to. I hope that all is well with your families and your church family. I can’t wait to hear from you again Mario and I appreciate all that you have said about me and my wife. OOOOOHRAAH and Semper Fi Delis to all.
Corporal Tucker
I love the Lord because he listens to my prayers for help. He paid attention to me, so I will call to him for help as long as I live.
Psalm 116:1-2
Jul 6th, 2008
Reformed Mama
Corporal Tucker~
Thank you for visiting our blog…and thank you for EVERYTHING you have done for America!!
We had a big party at the restaurant today and we had the pleasure of meeting your lovely wife…may God bless you both and may His perfect will be done in your lives.
We’d love to hear some stories of your adventures in service if ever you wish to share…
Thanks again!
Jul 6th, 2008
Mario
I second Reformed Mama’s last post!
Chris,
Again, we do appreciate what you do! Keep doing the Lord’s work as you get sent out! Send us your prayer requests. The LORD goes before you. May He keep you and your family! Remember Psalm 18:
18:1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me; [1]
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
7 Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils, [2]
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
20 The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his rules [3] were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23 I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
24 So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26 with the purified you show yourself pure;
and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27 For you save a humble people,
but the haughty eyes you bring down.
28 For it is you who light my lamp;
the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
29 For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 This God—his way is perfect; [4]
the word of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who equipped me with strength
and made my way blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me,
and your gentleness made me great.
36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me, [5]
and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
I cast them out like the mire of the streets.
43 You delivered me from strife with the people;
you made me the head of the nations;
people whom I had not known served me.
44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
foreigners came cringing to me.
45 Foreigners lost heart
and came trembling out of their fortresses.
46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47 the God who gave me vengeance
and subdued peoples under me,
48 who delivered me from my enemies;
yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
you rescued me from the man of violence.
49 For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing to your name.
50 Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever.
God bless you Chris and the Marines and the rest of our forces!
Jul 7th, 2008
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