Spring Break
Former Corps of Cadets member killed in Iraq
By: Rhiannon Meyers
Issue date: 1/20/04 Section: News
Capt. Ernesto Blanco-Caldas was never without his guitar. The classically-trained guitarist only had to be in one spot for a short time before he would reach for his guitar and start taking requests.
"Ernie had such a beautiful voice and you didn't have to ask him twice to sing, ever," said his sister, Carmen Pendergraff. "He would perform anywhere. He would know you for 20 seconds, and then pull out his guitar and play for you."
When Blanco-Caldas was deployed to Iraq in September 2003, his guitar went with him. The easygoing, passionate soldier, who was never without a smile, last performed when he sang "Happy Birthday" for a fellow soldier's wife only a few days before he was killed.
Blanco-Caldas, Class of 1998, died Dec. 28, 2003, when an explosive device hit his vehicle in Qaryat Ash Shababi. On Jan. 6, 2004, he was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. About 400 people were in attendance at the funeral, including Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
"My heart is broken," said Blanco-Caldas' mother, Gloria Caldas. "He was amazing. He made everyone feel special and he made me feel like I was the best mom in the world."
Pendergraff said that it was incredible how much of an impact her brother had on everyone.
"My brother touched so many people," Pendergraff said. "Everyone that knew him felt like they were Ernie's favorite, and that is a great gift."
Blanco-Caldas, a native Puerto Rican, moved to San Antonio with his mother and sister when he was 15. Caldas said her son immediately fell in love with Texas.
"The minute he hit the ground here, he knew he was home," she said. "He went from being Ernesto Blanco to Ernie Blanco, wearing cowboy boots and learning how to country dance."
Blanco-Caldas loved everything about Texas, from country music and Shiner Bock to the Texas Hill Country.
In San Antonio, Blanco-Caldas attended Churchill High School where he became involved in the school choir. In 1993, Blanco-Caldas enrolled at A&M.
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