KOLD News 13 live, local and late breaking-Fiance Mourns Loss of Marine

Fiance Mourns Loss of Marine

By J.D. Wallace, KOLD News 13 Reporter

posted 11/29/04

Marine Lance Corporal Joshua Lucero was the oldest of seven kids, and lived in Tucson since he was a little boy.  The nineteen year old was engaged, and now his fiancé must keep his memory alive for their young son.

"He was the nicest guy ever to me.  He was the only one who ever wanted to introduced me to his family and his friends and was like proud of me, not embarrassed of me,” said Tasha Lepes, as she wore her fiancé’s Marine coat.

Lucero was the father of their sixteen month old son, Joey.

"I just want him to know that his dad was a great guy and he died for his country fighting for us and fighting for him, and I'm pretty sure he didn't just give up and die.  He probably fought as hard as he could,” Lepes said.

Lucero was killed in action near Fallujah on Saturday.  Because he left for boot camp in June 2003, the month before Joey was born, the Marine had seen his son only a few times.

"I'm still mad.  I don't see any reason for them being over there, there's too many people dying over there,” Lepes said.

Now she must keep Lucero's memory alive not only for their son, but for herself.  They planned to marry in January.

"I got to wake up every morning and remember that he's not here.  I never can hear him again, never get a chance to get any new pictures, he never got any professional pictures made of him, me and the baby,” Lepes said.

Luckily, Lepes kept plenty of her own pictures, and more.  From Lucero's letters from boot camp, to all the couple's movie stubs, she calls this their “life book.”  She has plenty of mementos, but she must now raise her child without his father.

"Just pray for his family, his son, everybody,” Lepes said.

Lucero's family is still dealing with this loss, and is not ready just yet to speak on camera.  But his father says that Joshua, or Josh, as many called him, had wanted to be a soldier since he was five, and had wanted to be a Marine since he was twelve.