A Light Has Gone Out

Dear Family & Friends,

It is with great sadness and joy that I write to you this hour. My grandfather, Jack Lucas, has finished his battle with cancer. We are saddened by his passing but relieved that he is no longer in pain. Thank you to all of you for all your kind words and loving support. Please continue to pray for my family's peace and strength. Please also pray as my family and I travel to Mississippi to be with the rest of our family.

Prayer for My Grandfather

Grandpa w/Hannah & Wayne April 2008 1 week before being diagnosed with cancer.
Grandpa re-enlisting Wayne April 2008
All of us w/ Grandpa @ Wayne's Re-enlistment
Wayne w/ Ruby, Friend, & Grandpa April 2008

Dear Friends & Family,
Many of you already know that my grandfather is sick and has been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. He is not doing well at all and now all of his organs are shutting down. Please keep him in your prayers as he draws nearer to his final days on this earth. He is in a lot of pain. Please pray for strength, peace, and comfort for Him and my family. Thank you. Below you will find the news article printed today about him.

Tara

WWII Hero Marine Fighting for His Life
By CHRIS TALBOTT,
AP
Posted: 2008-06-03 15:24:26
Filed Under: Nation News

JACKSON, Miss. (June 3) - A World War II veteran who received the nation's highest military honor when he was only 17 is in the fight of his life, battling cancer, his biographer said.
Eighty-year-old Jack Lucas, who lied his way into the Marines at age 14, was nearly killed when he used his body to shield his fellow Marines from grenades on Iwo Jima in February 1945. He was just a few days past his 17th birthday at the time.He received the Medal of Honor from President Truman later that year, becoming the youngest Marine to receive the award.D.K. Drum, whose book "Indestructible" tells Lucas' story, said Monday that he is in "grave" condition at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, where family and friends are staying with him 24 hours a day."He is fighting very hard, very hard," Drum said. "It's probably his hardest fight, but he's not giving up." Lucas did not have the energy for an interview Monday, Drum said.A native of North Carolina, Lucas was already eager to join the Marines at age 13."At 14, I told 'em I was 17 and joined up," he said in an Associated Press interview in October 1945. "The Lucases are all tough fighters."In February 1945, shortly after his 17th birthday, he was with Allied forces that landed on the beach at Iwo Jima. While in a trench with three fellow squad members, he spotted two grenades on the ground, covering them with his body.He was severely wounded when one grenade went off and survived multiple surgeries and months in the hospital.Over the decades, the colorful Lucas became a symbol of patriotism and has been sought out by many to tell his story. "Indestructible" was written for a seventh-grade audience to reach as many people as possible."If he has a chance to say one thing to people, it's to never say `I can't,'" Drum said. "You don't know what you can do until you try."

Home Again, Home Again

Well, we are back from our camping trip! We had a great time (with a few bumps here and there)! It was nice spending time with my family. Right now though I am just too tired to type all the details...I am thinking about all the sandy laundry that needs to get done today. It is just nice to be back home again and in air conditioning! Tent camping for a week is a wonderful reminder of how blessed we are with the things we take forgranted. Our week was filled with lots of seafood, sand, and wildlife. Question for the day...Have you ever tried to outsmart a raccoon? Just wondering...

Anyways, until I download the pics of our camping trip here are some photos from Wayne's return home! We picked him up from the airport in March!