Saturday, July 2, 2005

"Better than the lottery"

    today i got some great news   but it's even Greater for the Lopez' & family    i was delivering my route today and saw Mr & Mrs Bonifacio Lopez at home   they offered me a soda in this hot weather as they usually do  i'm always grateful   well Boni said he had some great news to tell me and that "it's better than the lottery"   really?  i'm thinking   what could possibly be better than the lottery   so he wanted his wife Carmen to tell me the news  so we waited on her to come out into the garage   well i've known for as long as i've been on my route that their son died in Vietnam  they showed me his portrait in uniform and all his medals he had earned   what i didn't know i would learn today   their son's remains had never been found...Until NOW...they just learned that Robert C Lopez bones were found along with 11 other of his marine buddies in Vietnam   they're bringing them home  when is belongings were returned years ago, there was one boot missing   well they found the heal of the other boot   taking measurements of the one boot and comparing the two, the heal fit to a T   ....i gave Carmen a hug and told her that i was sooo happy for them   she replied, "it's a bit emotional, but we finally have closure"   i've never seen two people so happy like they were today   they showed me the shrine they put together, which i had seen part of, but today there was the Vietnam Memorial Wall print and an actuall photo of the wall with Robert's name listed   it was moving   there'll be local tv coverage either mon, tues or wed   there will be a private memorial next week   and then October 7, all 12 men will be buried and honored at Arlington National Cemetary in Washington   yes, 40yrs later the Lopez' have closure   their son is finally home  ...and most definitely, "better than the lottery".........this Independence day remember our Troops.....God Bless these 12 marines who served in 'Nam  God Bless our Troops   God Bless America!....i hope there's national tv coverage on their return.......

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a bittersweet story. They must be so relieved, yet sad and happy to have closure all the same. God bless them and all ~ Lori

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful time -- July 4th -- to recieve such news! I can't imagine what a relief it will be for them to have him "home".
Candace

Anonymous said...

    Okay, now I'm in tears. What a story. What a Fourth of July celebration. God Bless that couple and their son. We just found a website where Bill's cousin was remembered. He died during the Myaguez incident.
Jude
http://journals.aol.com

Anonymous said...

Makes you put hings in perspective...I am happy that they found their son.So sad that they had to loose him in the first place . Teywill always remember this July 4th as the day their son finally came home. I bet it was so hard to know he was gone but not being able to say good bye. I think it would be so hard to have them both going on at the same time..a true American  hero's welcome home.. Happy and sad at the same time..............................Kasey

Anonymous said...

How humbling for me....I can still hug my sons....makes my problems seem less important...<sigh> I glad they have closure....that would be hard never knowing
Donna In TEXAS