 "Photo: Tina Hogue")
Though Sgt. Roger Peña Jr., a combat medic serving in Iraq, died more than a year ago, his story inspired a complete stranger to paint his portrait in his memory.
Baldemar Vargas picked up his daily San Antonio Express-News expecting to read the usual Memorial Day articles this spring, but of all of the fallen soldiers' stories, something about Peña - a former UT student - and his family struck a chord.
"Their story made their pain more obvious," Vargas said. "There were other stories in there, but theirs seemed to stand out. I don't know why. I thought I could do something for this family."
Vargas, a parking lot attendant in downtown San Antonio, husband and father of four daughters, worked every day for six months to create Peña's portrait without ever meeting the family, he said.
Vargas contacted the Peñas through e-mail to get their approval and pictures of Roger for the painting. They did not meet in person until Vargas presented the portrait to the family last weekend.
The two families met at the Mountain of Faith Worship Center in San Antonio this past weekend on the Saturday before Veterans Day and exchanged hugs and tears as Vargas gave the portrait to Paula and Roger Peña Sr., the parents of the deceased soldier.
"What Mr. Vargas has done is unbelievable," Paula said. "It's beautiful to have this portrait; it seems real. What I feel in gratitude I can't explain, and I thank him for that. The gift that he has, that's something."
Vargas, a Navy veteran, said he always had a passion for painting, but because of his demanding work schedule he did not have enough time to spend with his family, much less the time to give painting a try.
After receiving his wife's blessing three years ago, Vargas quit his job and hit the library to teach himself how to paint, he said.
"When I first started learning how to paint, portraits were the last thing on my mind, because it's so hard to paint someone who someone else knows better than you," he said. "You're always thinking about how critical someone else might be, but since I have all my girls with me, I decided to paint one and the next, and eventually I thought I was pretty good."
Vargas said he suffers from acute anxiety and has a hard time meeting new people, so he was nervous about the introduction with the Peñas. The meeting went better than expected, and he believes he and his wife will stay in touch with the Peñas.
"Once I learned everything I know about this young man, you kind of think you know him," Vargas said. "It's not just a painting I would miss - it's a person. I would walk in the house every day and he was there, leave the house to go to work and he was there."
The Peña family agreed the portrait was an accurate portrayal of Roger.
"The portrait looks real, like he hasn't left us yet," said Roger's sister, Karen, holding back her tears. "It's an experience I won't forget, that's for sure. It's hard because it brings back all the memories, but at the same time we know he is in a better place."
Along with the portrait presentation, Vargas' wife Linda arranged for a church service, which consisted of Bible scripture readings, Spanish and English songs and many prayers for the Peña family.
"When [Roger] closed his eyes on this Earth, he opened them in heaven," said Armando Cruz, the pastor at the church where the presentation took place.
Paula Peña said she has struggled with her faith in God through her grief, and though she will never have closure, she said she felt she received answers during the church service, which brought a wave of mixed emotions.
"We were very close and went everywhere as a family," she said. "When we go out to eat I still look at the door waiting for him to come in. It just destroyed us, but God has given us the strength."
Roger's father, Roger Peña Sr., said he and his wife felt very powerful when their whole family was together, so when one is missing, you feel like an empty shell.
"Sometimes I wish this upon someone else, but I'm not trying to be selfish," he said. "I never thought in a million years this would happen."
Roger told his parents that once he graduated high school, he wanted to go to college, and Paula said they were very happy about his decision to go to UT. His dream was to graduate from the University and be a Longhorn.
Roger attended UT for several semesters before deciding to join the Army, but he told his mother that when he got back from serving in the war, he was going to go back to UT and graduate.
In the process of painting, Vargas said he wanted to keep the story fresh, so when looking on the Internet for more information on Peña, he came across a story in The Daily Texan about the former UT student's death.
Roger started working to support his family, and after feeling like his job was not giving him enough satisfaction, he joined the Army in 2003, his father said. He did it for his wife, Marisol, and children, Ivan, 7, and Gabriel, 3, because he wanted something better for them, Roger Sr. said.
"I remember him telling me he was going to join," Paula said. "All I remember was looking at his face and my heart said 'No,' but I told him, 'I've always supported you in what you've wanted to do in your life, as long as it's for the good.' But in my heart I was screaming."
As hard as the grief process has been, Paula and Roger Sr. said they are proud of what their son did because he believed he was doing the right thing.
"He called me when he was in Afghanistan and told me, 'Mom, there are good people out here who want their freedom.' He was happy with what he was doing," she said.
The Peñas said they felt relieved when they found out their son was going to be stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan because they felt that was the safest place. They said they were scared once he moved to Kandahar because he had been promoted to sergeant and was sent on dangerous missions.
After speaking to her son following his first mission, Paula said he did not sound like himself and she felt he wanted to tell her something.
The day leading up to when the Peñas found out about Roger's death had been a good day, they said. The whole family had been together laughing, but Roger Sr. said when he saw two men in uniform at their house, he knew what had happened and instantly the happiness drained out of him. Paula collapsed at the news of her son's death.
"In order for us to continue going with our lives, we have to stay busy," she said. "To be honest, I ended up in the hospital with depression because it hurt me so much. The best thing is staying busy with the grandchildren."
The Peñas' living room is a tribute to their son, full of his medals and pictures. Paula said she had picked out the perfect place on the wall to hang the portrait, which she was going to do immediately after the presentation ended.
Paula said she and her husband miss Roger's sons. Marisol moved with them to the Rio Grande Valley, where her parents live.
"I feel for her because she has to be mommy and daddy," she said.
Paula and Roger Sr. said they have boxes full of newspaper clippings and condolence letters sent from people all over the country, all of which will be given to their grandchildren if they want.
"I'm hoping God gives me many more years to talk to [Roger's] children, so they can know about their dad," Paula said. "Everything that I have goes to them. When they're older they can have it."
Roger Jr. sent two videos of himself reading to his sons while he was in Afghanistan. He would read a paragraph, explain and show them pictures, Paula said. He also sent a CD with the books, so she said at least the boys are able to listen to Roger's voice.
"I was reading the Bible about a verse that discusses a man giving his life for his country, and that's what he did," Roger Sr. said.
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