Joe Narvaez remembered

People in the Edgewood community know about sacrifice and the high price of freedom.

They don't need catchy slogans or bumper stickers to remind them to support our troops.

To many Edgewood Independent School District students who struggle with poverty and other socioeconomic issues in the barrio every day, military service is seen as a way to improve their quality of life and secure money for a college education.

Consequently, patriotism is a proud tradition among San Antonio's poorest citizens.

Such is the environment that shaped the life of Army Staff Sgt. Joe A. Narvaez, a former Kennedy High School football player who was killed Monday by a sniper in Iraq.

"When you don't have a lot and aren't going to college after you graduate, the only option for sure is to join the service," former teammate Philip Lucio said Friday. "Even though it's a tough life, that's a guaranteed paycheck."

Jaime Contreras, who graduated from Kennedy with Narvaez in 2000 and also played football with him, concurred.

"Joe joined the service to make a difference," he said. "Not only for the country but for himself. It's tough to get out of the West Side."

Narvaez, 25, is the first Edgewood ISD graduate to die in Iraq or Afghanistan, according to a district spokesman.

But lest we forget, he's the latest in a long line of former Edgewood, Kennedy and Memorial students who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Fifty-three Edgewood district students, including 10 from Edgewood High School's Class of 1967, were killed during the Vietnam War or still are listed as missing in action.

All but three of the district's casualties were Hispanic, no surprise considering Edgewood's demographics and the ethnic group's tradition of military service.

Thirty-nine Hispanics have received the Medal of Honor, more per capita than any other minority group in our country's history.

That's something to keep in mind when you hear a derogatory remark about Hispanics and immigrants from Mexico. Remember, many have fought and died for this country even though they weren't citizens.

"Those kids in the Edgewood district, let me tell you, they're ready to defend this country — regardless of the situation," said Henry Escobedo, a World War II veteran who coached basketball at Edgewood High School for 34 years before retiring in 1984. "I was ready to go in World War II, and these kids nowadays are no different."

Nothing reflects the Edgewood district's patriotism like the Edgewood Vietnam Memorial at Mata Memorial Stadium, which lists the names of students from the district who lost their lives in our country's longest war. The monument, dedicated in 1988, was paid for by the Edgewood High School Class of 1967.

A ceremony, highlighted by a haunting roll call of the names on the memorial, has been held at Mata Stadium or Kennedy High School on every Memorial Day since the monument was erected.

It's a moving event that reflects the best of a humble community.

"Our Hispanic population always has been there in times of war, and the Edgewood schools take that to heart," said Pete Padilla, who was Kennedy's head football coach when Narvaez played.

Narvaez, who enlisted in October 2000, was killed while serving his second tour in Iraq.

He was the son of David G. and Guadalupe Narvaez, who have asked the media to respect the family's privacy during this difficult time.

"I really would like to talk about my brother but it hurts too much right now," David J. Narvaez said.

One of Narvaez's former teammates said Narvaez expressed misgivings about the mess in Iraq the last time they talked in San Antonio last December.

"He didn't want to go back," said Leandro Gonzales Jr., now a coach at Pearsall High School. "He said we're over there for no reason, but he was more than willing to do what he had to do. Joe was just that kind of guy. If he's fighting for somebody, he's going to do his best."

The Kennedy football team was preparing for practice Monday afternoon when Coach Richard Cerda, who was the Rockets' offensive coordinator when Narvaez played, got a phone call from a relative of Narvaez.

What he heard was like a thunderclap on a clear day.

Two of Narvaez's nephews, Craig and Richard Escamilla, were among the players in the noisy Kennedy field house when Cerda learned of his death.

"I took them into my office and told them they needed to call their father," Cerda said, declining to name the players. "It was very, very sad, of course."

After comforting the players, Cerda asked if he could tell the team about their uncle's death. Given the go-ahead, Cerda gathered the Rockets and gave them the bad news.

An eerie silence, he said, fell over the room.

"You could have heard a pin drop 100 yards away," Cerda said. "Usually when we get together before practice, everybody is shouting and getting fired up. But that day, it was just quiet. I'll never forget that and the sacrifice Joe made."

Kennedy played at Crystal City on Friday night, but plans are under way to honor Narvaez at the Kennedy-Memorial game Nov. 11 at Mata Stadium.

Narvaez, a center, was remembered by teammates as a hard-working young man who was a leader on and off the field.

"Joe was a people person that everybody liked," said Omar Berrones, who played on the offensive line with him.

Said Gonzales: "He had tremendous heart and was always the first one to yell out, 'Let's go, guys.'"

Narvaez was only 5-foot-8 but he carried his 190 pounds well and packed a "powerful punch" as a blocker, Cerda said.

"Joe did everything right," Cerda said. "He never complained. He knew he was going to have to work hard, and he just did what he had to do."

Right up until the end of his life.

From the Express News

Fellow Kennedy grads recall Iraq soldier's perseverance

It was on a West Side football field that Joe Anthony Narvaez began carrying the rock-solid values of a combat infantryman.

Leadership. Loyalty. Respect.

On Friday, Narvaez was remembered by more than 500 mourners for keeping those virtues through his short adult life.

"He's a hero who gave his life for his country and our way of life," Maj. Gen. Russell J. Czerw, Fort Sam Houston commander, told a full sanctuary at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church.

Czerw, relaying tales from friends, relatives and soldiers in Iraq, described Narvaez as a natural athlete and devoted Catholic who quickly rose in rank to staff sergeant.

Nothing less would be expected from a young man from the Edgewood Independent School District. Narvaez, a 2000 graduate of Kennedy High School, is the district's first graduate, and 18th San Antonian, killed in Iraq.

Narvaez, 25, was killed by a sniper in Baghdad on Oct. 2 during his second tour of Iraq. Czerw presented the infantryman's parents with medals for his service, including his second Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge — honors he had received on his first tour.

As cars in procession from the funeral home reached the church, eight small children in day care at the Madonna Neighborhood Center and hundreds of students at Gardendale Elementary School held small flags and giant banners with such messages as "SSgt. Joe Narvaez, Thank You for Serving Our Country." Narvaez's family, which declined interview requests, was deeply moved by the gesture, a source close to the family said.

City Councilwoman Delicia Herrera read a city proclamation honoring Narvaez during the Mass. She said the loss "really hits home," since she has relatives who knew Narvaez.

Archbishop José Gomez officiated and spoke of dealing with grief by celebrating the life of a man who fought for a cause. Regardless of any human flaws, Narvaez set an example when he "gave his life for all of us," Gomez said.

"He has shown us the bravest manifestation of God," he said.

Looking at his friend's open casket earlier this week, Philip Lucio thought back to seven years ago when he and Narvaez played football at Kennedy.

"We played a game that was like a kid's war. Now he's fought a man's war," Lucio said, recalling his thoughts as he stood by the flag-draped coffin.

"I told him, 'Like a man, I know you fought your best,'" Lucio, 24, said in an interview before the funeral Mass.

Narvaez, often called Joey or "Joe Na-na," his friends' nickname for him, was a joker. As a man, he became more protective of his friends, like he'd always been to his little sister.

For many young men in the area, where names of 53 Edgewood district graduates killed or listed missing in Vietnam are etched in granite at Mata Memorial Stadium, there's no better time than a senior year in high school. For Narvaez, it meant enduring a winless season with a sense of personal worth intact.

As center in the offensive line, he'd call the huddle. At 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, he was small for a lineman, but strong and fast. He was a B student who never gave up, even as his Kennedy Rockets posted a 0-10 record. After each game, a player or two would quit the team. But football had instilled discipline in Narvaez and others who played throughout high school.

"We lost every game that season," Lucio said. "But when it ended, there was a love and respect among all of us."

Narvaez was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. He's survived by his parents, sister, two brothers, nieces and nephews.

From the Express News

Related Link:
Joe Narvaez slain by sniper