This weekend has been a real healing experience for our sons,” said Raymond Aguayo, as he took a short rest between the bay fishing trip and the awards dinner on Saturday of Warrior’s Weekend.
Although he and his two sons were kept busy throughout the weekend, they still found it a restful and uplifting experience, even meeting up with some old buddies who had served with his sons.
The Aguayo family is from Port Lavaca. Raymond is a 20-year veteran of the Marines, who says he never saw any “action”. His two sons, following in the military tradition, joined the Army, where both were injured in the War on Terror.
Elder son, Justin served in Iraq and his brother Joshua served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Josuha is a recipient of three Purple Hearts.
Both sons are professional musicians, with Josuha having his own band, “Annabell Leigh”.
Joshua and his wife, Angel, live in North Carolina. They are expecting a child soon. Accompanying him and his wife was his cute-as-a-button 4 1/2-year-old daughter, Amira.
Justin has family in Canada and had plans to relocate to Seattle right after the weekend to be near them.
Their mother, Angie, spent Saturday afternoon with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter relaxing at Saltwater Lodge, which was one of many private lodging places graciously furnished by local individuals and businesses to the soldiers and their families.
Angie repeatedly expressed her thankfulness for Warrior’s Weekend and the respite it had given her whole family. “We could see and feel an overwhelming love,” she said.