A Marine Asked His Friend To Watch Over His Home While Away. He Never Expected He'd Return To This

June 26, 2014

Master Sergeant Jacinto Bernardo, an Iraq war veteran who recently retired after serving 21 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, asked his friend Jeremy Epperson to watch over his new home in California while he was stationed in Japan with his family. The home was a major fixer-upper because it was all the Bernardo family could afford.

Epperson agreed to watch over his home, though he had much bigger plans in mind.

While Bernardo was away, Epperson raised $70,000 to complete much needed renovations on the house. He named the program "Homecoming Heroes."

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When Bernardo and his family returned home last week, a limo was waiting for them at the airport. The limo then took them to their "updated" home. Epperson said no retiring U.S. Marine should have to return to a home that is such a mess.

Bernardo teared up while talking to a local news station about the astonishing surprise.

"We are proud of our service," the teary-eyed Marine said. "Those guys that didn't make it back and those guys that didn’t make it in one piece, they deserve this, not me."