Heaven, Iron & I

I’m Ron Zuccaro, a.k.a. Ron Martinelli, and this is my story. The challenging times of my life. The Vietnam War and how a truck ran out of control and ran me through the brick wall of a cleaners and how surgeons told me I wouldn’t walk again. How I opened a gambling casino to help with my financial hardships and how I wrestled as a professional all over the country before my accident and made a comeback, against all odds, to win the championship, and how I dealt with all the devastation and obstacles along the way.

I could not have come through it without my Father in Heaven. He never left me. I’m reminded of the poem “Footsteps in the Sand,” and Jesus said, “When you only saw one set of footprints, that’s when I carried you.” Well, He carried me a lot.

This book is about hope, perseverance, love, loyalty, discipline, and training. All these things taught to me by my mother, my father, the USMC in boot camp, the US Army, the US Navy, and my faith in Jesus Christ, my Savior. I always turn to Him and believe in and talk to Him. I pray daily and talk to Him like I would talk to my earthly father. I thank God every day that He chose me to be born, the son of that lovely lady, my mother, the saint. Christ brought me back from a violent and vicious war. He brought peace to my heart and soul. He gave a wonderful family, three sons, six grandsons, two granddaughters, four great-grandsons, and four great-granddaughters.

My Lord brought me through quadruple bypass surgery, prostate cancer twice, and more health issues brought on by Agent Orange. He guided me through the war, the devastating sights of the horror of war, and the death of so many friends.

I will always believe that we won the Vietnam War on the battlefield. They lost one and a half million VC and North Vietnamese; we lost fifty-eight thousand, and don’t get me wrong—one American is too many. We would have lost far less if Washington, DC, had not played politics, allowing Charlie sanctuary, and continued bombing Haiphong Harbor, North Hanoi, and the Ho Chi Minh trail. No one defeated us in combat. Nobody, and I emphasize nobody. The honor, courage, and valor of the American military shone brightly. I will defend our troops until God takes my last breath. Let no one taint the actions or honor of my brave buddies. This book is a tribute to all the brave vets and the Living God, Jesus Christ.