Del Rio soldier killed in Iraq, family and friends grieve

May 23, 2007
By Bill Sontag
Feature Writer

Private Oscar Sauceda Jr. was a member of a combat team in Iraq, part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, assigned to the 1st Infantry at Fort Riley Kansas. Sauceda had been in Iraq for less than three months when he was felled by small arms fire. (Contributed photo/Sauceda family) (click image to enlarge)

Infantryman Oscar Sauceda Jr., 21, died in small arms fire in Iraq earlier this week, according to friends and family members now plunged into mourning a lost son, brother, nephew, and grandson.

Friends grieve, too. “He was such a sweetheart, and so kind,” said a very subdued Claudia Garcia, lending clerk, Border Federal Credit Union. Garcia considers herself a close friend to Sauceda. “He was a very big guy, very built, but was just so friendly and kindhearted to everyone.” According to Garcia, Sauceda, whose nickname was J.R., was also a member of the Del Rio High School Choraliers. Garcia and Sauceda graduated together in 2004.

Sauceda was deployed to Iraq, Feb. 23, 2007, after enlisting in the U.S. Army, Feb. 14, 2006. He was on the combat team of the 1st Infantry Battalion, 28th Infantry, 4th Infantry Brigade. His stateside headquarters was the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.

Sauceda’s father, Oscar “Lefty” Sauceda, a well-known boxer from Del Rio, is deceased, but J.R.'s survivors include his parents, Ricky and Sandra Hernandez, and siblings Precious Sauceda, Dae Lamar, Ricky Hernandez Jr., and aunts and uncles. His mother, Sandra Hernandez, court coordinator for County Court at Law Judge Sergio Gonzalez, was informed of military officers at her home wanting to speak to her, and she immediately left the Val Verde Courthouse with assistance, to hear the terrible news.

Johnny Martinez, Sauceda’s uncle, now retired from Civil Service at Laughlin Air Force Base, remembers his nephew fondly. “Two of my grandsons played football with him – Leo Martinez and Eric Flores – and we all remember Oscar as a very dedicated individual, a very good son, and very close to his family.”

Berta Lumbrera, aunt and instructional aide at the Del Rio Freshman Campus, agreed: “He was a very good, respectful young man, and all the teachers here knew and remember him.” Lumbera, too, recalled Sauceda’s interest in sports, including football and being a catcher on the Rams baseball team.

Through weeping and sorrow, Jan Pressgrove, music teacher at Del Rio High School, remembered Sauceda with clarity and love. “Oscar didn’t come into the Choraliers until his junior or senior year, and always told me he’d wished he had gotten into it sooner, that it just wasn’t a ‘guy thing.’ But he was just a marvelous young man, always happy.

“He loved everybody, worked very hard, and you could always count on him. He had a bass voice, and was an excellent singer. He worked hard at it, but he really didn’t have to, he was that good,” Pressgrove said. “And I know he worked hard in the Army, too. Serving his country was always a really big thing to him.

“And he gave the best hugs! Yes, he was a big guy, and he could lift me off my feet with those hugs,” Pressgrove said, finally managing a chuckle at the recollection.

Services arrangements will be announced as soon as LIVE! learns of them.

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Ricky, My deepest sympathy

Submitted by Lalis Crispin on Fri, 05/25/2007 - 7:14pm.

Ricky,

My deepest sympathy to you and the family... Keep your faith strong.

My prayer are with you and the family.

Love Lalis..

My deepest regards to the

Submitted by RUBEN on Fri, 05/25/2007 - 11:22am.

My deepest regards to the family of Oscar, and to the youth of today that are always looking for role models, just look to your left and to your right. Do not look any further than your Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Grandparent, role models are all around you. But Hero's like Oscar come very seldom. He is a proud example of a great family upbringing and someone I would be proud to call a friend. Honor his memory and his family. God Bless this family always.

May God be with you always,

A Former Marine.

I would like to express my

Submitted by sweet emotions on Thu, 05/24/2007 - 8:15pm.

I would like to express my gratitude to this young mans family for his dedication to us. We don't always know what the good Lord has in store for us but is it our place to question his plans for us? I look at Oscar's picture and I do feel sadness but I am overcome with pride. Honor him and those who have served and do serve our country. I don't know if we should or shouldn't be in this war but these brave men and women are not being respected when we question why we are there. They took an oath and made a promise to this country and its people. Remember them with love and honor. Do not let people tarnish this young man's image by asking "why did this happen?" It is because of Oscar and all our troops that I can go for a walk with my son, enjoy a ball game, pray to my God and just be me.

To Oscar. I know you had many dreams planned out in your future. As a mother I thank you for wanting to make this world a safer place, for giving my son a chance at a safer future by giving up yours and for giving us our freedom. There is no dought in my mind that you are a hero. Thank you.

We had the pleasure of

Submitted by carolcicchiani on Thu, 05/24/2007 - 12:14pm.

We had the pleasure of meeting Oscar when he came home with our son (Pfc Casey Kehling) for Thanksgiving from Ft Riley this past year. We are so sorry for the family's loss and would just like to let them know what a wonderful, respectful, and polite young man he was. He will be remembered in our family.

I'd like to send my deepest

Submitted by alemanc on Wed, 05/23/2007 - 9:03pm.

I'd like to send my deepest condonlences to the family of PVT Oscar Sauceda Jr. I am an OIF II Veteran. I served in Baghdad, Iraq from 3 Jan - 22 Dec 04. I'm 100% sure your son did an outstanding job while in Iraq. God bless your whole family.

v/r,

Chris Aleman
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army

I didn't know Oscar Sauceda.

Submitted by SW TEXAS LIVE on Wed, 05/23/2007 - 8:28pm.

I didn't know Oscar Sauceda. But I am sincerely moved by his sacrifice and service to this country. He didn't die in vain. We are facing a terrible enemy wanting to destroy our country and way of life. I salute Sauceda and his family for making him who he was.