Don’t wait around for someone else to fix any problems you see. Instead, step in and fill in the gap by doing something about it!
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Hi, I’m Joni with a story to strengthen the American heart.
My friend Bob Martinez was only 19 years old when he served with the First Marine Regiment in the Vietnam War. That was the war that was raging when I was in high school, and it was an unpopular one. A lot of people felt we shouldn’t have been in Vietnam; others lacked confidence in the direction the war was taking. And so, when Bob Martinez, this young Lance Corporal, returned home to the States, he and his fellow warriors did not receive a warm welcome. Sadly, people who disagreed with US policy vented their frustrations and anger on returning servicemen and women. There were no welcome-home parades; no speeches; there was no national expression of gratitude. All this was not only sad; it was unfair. The young soldiers, the Marines, the pilots, the sailors who fought in the Vietnam War, they weren’t the ones who set war policy. Most were drafted. And many of them lost their lives.
It’s why years later, this 74-year-old former US Marine, Bob Martinez, does everything he can to honor his fallen comrades. One day while attending the graveside service of a fallen warrior, his heart swelled with pride when the honor guard performed a rifle salute. Then when a soldier played the wistful, mournful tune of “Taps” on his bugle, that moved Bob deeply. The song was played on a recording. To him, it did not seem right to have recorded music as part of a dignified military burial. Bob reasoned that these brave men and women sacrificed everything for our country, and as such, they deserve a lot more than pre-recorded music. That’s when God gave my friend a brilliant idea: he would learn how to play the bugle! Rather than bemoan the problem – you know, what was lacking; what somebody else should do – he decided to do something about it. You know, Peter Marshall once said, "May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right." And Bob Martinez decided to take the opportunity and do something right. And so, he signed up for private lessons and the first song he learned was “Taps.” The song wasn’t that hard, just a few notes. And once he got that down pat, Bob also signed up to serve with a local military honor guard. He wanted to invest personally in honoring American warriors, like the ones who fought beside him in the Vietnam War.
My friend has been playing the bugle at military services for a long time, and although Bob Martinez still struggles with the aftermath of Vietnam – he has PTSD – he’s proud to be a part of the Ronald Reagan Marine Corps League Honor Guard in Simi Valley, California. Whenever there is a military service; whenever they present the US flag to the family, Bob lifts his bugle to his lips and plays “Taps.” He wants his fellow servicemen and women to have the best. It is his way of saying thank you to the American warriors and their families who love our country and fight to keep it One Nation Under God.
Oh, friend, I love our country. As divided as it is and as stained as its reputation is, it is still America the beautiful to me. So today, on July 4th, I thank God for Americans like this US Marine. The country certainly needs more like him. Happy Independence Day, friend; go out and celebrate the freedoms we hold dear! Oh, and one more thing: I want you to have a copy of our Joni and Friends newsletter. So just go to joniradio.org. It’s filled with opportunities for you to serve people with disabilities, all in the name of Jesus.
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