Page 123 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine

MARINE CORPS
VIETNAM

LUBBOCK

Jerry and his first wife had one boy, Lionel, and one
girl, Georgia. He is currently married to the former
Lupe Garcia, and they have one daughter, Vanessa. He
proudly says that “between us, we have 41 grandkids.
We also have 13 great and 4 great-great grandkids.”
“I finally got out in June 1971. I moved to Oregon Jerry and Lupe are raising their grandson, Damian
and worked at picking strawberries for a while. I was Lucero.
also a teacher’s aide in adult education. I worked for
a time as a Spanish interpreter for the Hillsboro Police “T.J.” Lucero, “Hollywood” Marine, Purple Heart
Department. I also worked for the Bonneville Power recipient, father, grandfather, great grandfather, great-
Administration out of Portland.” great grandfather, former teacher’s aide, interpreter,
file clerk, dishwasher and so much more has not let his
Lucero moved back to Lubbock in 1979. “I worked at disability define him. He likes “to help people”, and
the VA office downtown at the federal building as a file he and Lupe can regularly be found performing “acts
clerk for a time. After that, I was the Assistant Director of kindness.” His 4 ½ years of active duty made him a
at Auxilio Drug Abuse Center in Lubbock. We tried Marine, but he has made himself a hero.
to get kids cleaned up and off of drugs. I also worked
at Reese AFB as a dishwasher at the dining hall. I was
rated as a 100% disabled veteran in 1995.”

Civil Air Patrol
LUBBOCK Lubbock Composite Squadron
Wreaths Across America Wreaths Across America Day
Sponsoring National
December 19, 2020

The Lubbock Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol is sponsoring their annual Wreaths Across America Campaign. This
year’s National Wreath Day is December 19, 2020. The ceremony will be at the City of Lubbock Memorial Cemetery, 2011
E. 31st Street. If we are still dealing with the COVID Pandemic, we will be asking guests and volunteers who attend to
wear masks and maintain the recommended social distancing of 6 feet.
This is the 13th year Lubbock Composite Squadron has honored the memory of veterans interred at the City of Lubbock
Cemetery. Our mission is to REMEMBER our fallen U.S. veterans, HONOR those who currently serve and TEACH our
children the value of FREEDOM.
Capt. Tammy Preidis is the Wreaths Across America Director for Lubbock; she and her staff work diligently each year to
create a special remembrance program on National Wreath Day. This program is very dear to her heart. She and her
husband, Jim, both served in the United States Air Force during Desert Storm and come from exceedingly long family
lines of military service. It’s Capt. Preidis’ desire for each veteran to have a wreath
for their headstone. However, the only way this can be accomplished is through
individual, business, and corporate sponsorships. “It’s my aspiration to get more of
Lubbock and the surrounding communities to come forward and sponsor wreaths for
this awesome program.”

To sponsor, contact Capt. Tammy Preidis at 806-429-2033 or send your check made
out to WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA to Civil Air Patrol, Attention: Capt. Tammy
Preidis, PO Box 65026, Lubbock, TX 79464.
We need to collect approximately $42,000 to ensure every veteran gets a wreath.
Wreaths are only $15.00 – Businesses and Corporations who sponsor
between 10 and 100+ wreaths will be mentioned in the ceremony
program on December 19, 2020 as well as on the website. EVERY FALLEN HERO DESERVES A WREATH

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