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thedrifter
01-21-07, 07:55 AM
Wedding wishes granted

Web Posted: 01/21/2007 01:53 AM CST

Melissa Ludwig
Express-News

Mariachis and Marines: Those were the two things 22-year-old Rogelio "Roger" Garza III wanted most on his wedding day.

As a newly minted Marine, Garza had heard about sword detail, a tradition in which fellow soldiers cross their blades over the heads of the bride and groom as they leave the church.

But with only 10 days' leave from the Marine Corps after finishing boot camp Jan. 12, a simple ceremony with fiancée Hallie Martyn would have to do.

Or so he thought.

When Garza stepped to the altar of Chapel No. 1 at Randolph AFB on Saturday morning, the pews were filled with more than 100 people. With only six weeks to plan, Garza's mother, Deana Garza, had stealthily arranged a dream wedding for her son, complete with a Marine sword detail, a mariachi band, a stretch limousine and a downtown hotel room.

For his mom, it was a parting gift to a son who will soon head to Iraq, where violence has escalated and the president is pushing for a surge in troops.

"It is heart wrenching," she said. "Just the thought of him leaving again, I can't even bear thinking about it. At the same time, I could not be more proud of him."

Though Garza's future is uncertain, everything in his past led up to Saturday's celebration.

After losing 50 pounds and surviving boot camp, Garza is now a U.S. Marine. After a four-year relationship with his high school sweetheart and the birth of a daughter, Sara Faith, now a year old, the couple finally married.

Known as "Little Roger" to family, Garza never stopped smiling as one surprise after another played out.

The chapel was unexpected — Garza thought he and Martyn were getting married at the courthouse. The sword detail was a shock, too. Garza was so awed by the seven smartly dressed Marines lined up down the aisle that the preacher had to remind him to kiss the bride.

"My jaw dropped," Garza said later. "It was so good to see them. The last Marine said 'Welcome to the corps,' and tapped (Hallie) on the bottom. It was funny."

Instead of a small gathering at his uncle's house, Garza walked into the base's Enlisted Club and saw more than 200 people sitting at tables draped with white tablecloths and in chairs adorned with red silk bows.

They cheered as a DJ announced the couple, then lined up for a buffet of meat, cheese and fruit. A mariachi band serenaded the couple as they ate, stealing kisses in between bites.

A co-worker of Rogelio Garza Jr., the groom's father and a state trooper, made two beautiful cakes. Another law enforcement friend played in the mariachi band. Garza's aunt, Tami Siewinski, arranged for a stretch limousine to take the newlyweds to a suite at the Hilton's Palacio del Rio Hotel, where chilled champagne and a view of the River Walk awaited them.

Garza beamed. It was beyond his wildest dreams, he told his mother as they danced.

"Deana is a tornado of activity," said Garza's uncle, John Siniff. "There are not many people on the planet who could pull this off."

Siniff flew in from McLean, Va., for the wedding, another surprise for Little Roger.

"It's particularly poignant to see a young marriage at this point," Siniff said. "I think anyone who enlists at this point, you have to have quite a dedication to the country and the mission. That's the kind of character he is. He's a strong kid, a smart kid. He'll be all right."

mludwig@express-news.net

Ellie