Jose 'Gasper' Rodriguez (Papa)
Between 1920 and 1925, Paraguay clashed with Bolivia over an area of dry land allegedly rich with oil. This Guerra de la Sed, better known as the Chaco War dispute between two poor countries led to hunger, famine and the loss of countless lives. In order to survive, most men and boys fifteen and older joined the Paraguayan military. For their patriotism they were awarded with a decent wage, and their families were provided with food and shelter. Unfortunately, most of the soldiers never returned.
Gasper was one of the fortunate ones. He was against the war but had a pregnant wife to support.
Almost on a daily basis death surrounded him. Young men with limbs missing and blood seeping through bandages were a common sight. Boys who had never been in a fistfight were heaved into gun battles. A father and his two sons, sixteen and twenty were all killed the same day during one of Paraguay's 'successful' advances. Left behind was a wife and mother who lost her senses and committed suicide by slitting her wrist. Stories like this were not uncommon.
Gasper made the best of the month-long separations from his pregnant wife. He sent her letters proclaiming his deep love for her. She responded by detailing her pregnancy and how she believed the child to be a boy because he was stubborn.
Often it is hard for me to stay asleep because whatever makes me comfortable this baby wants to do the opposite, she wrote. They exchanged lists of names until finally settling on Solono Alberto Remedios Rodriguez.
Gasper was so buzzed at the thought of his firstborn being a boy that during the late hours when his shift ended, he would share his excitement with his comrades as they gathered underneath a tent, with a fire burning, playing Truco. They would laugh as he boasted how his son was going to be the most intelligent man to walk the earth and how the world hasn't seen a football player like him yet. The older men shared stories about their children and families and what their plans were with their wages once the war was over. These moments made it somewhat easier for all, not just Gasper, to deal with their current situation.
July 23 , 1921 was an uneventful Saturday. Gasper and five other men were ordered to inventory all the medical supplies and transport them to Pitiantuta Lake, which was located near the eastern outpost of the Chaco region. After a three-hour bumpy ride, the crew finally arrived at their destination. There, against President Silvay's orders, a Paraguayan detachment had captured and tortured ten Bolivian soldiers. The three-day cease-fire agreement between the two countries would be void if word of their capture got out. Six out of the 10 prisoners were young boys. Gasper and his men were responsible for providing the prisoners of war with medical treatment. Over the next three days, one by one, the prisoners were tended to and patched back to health.
Whispers surfaced throughout the camp that the Paraguayan soldiers weren't pleased with the special treatment given to the Bolivian soldiers. They were responsible for the deaths of their comrades. Rumor made its way to Gasper that the Bolivian soldiers were to be killed the next night while they slept and dumped in the Pitiantuta Lake. Adamantly against the plan, Gasper decided to help the Bolivians escape. As it turns out, the Bolivians heard the rumors and managed to steal some weapons, killing every Paraguayan soldier with the exception of Gasper. He was told that his life was spared because they were aware of his plans and voted to let him live. They thanked him for his help and disappeared into the night leaving Gasper with fourteen dead Paraguayan soldiers.
Overwhelmed with grief but thankful to be alive, Gasper burnt the corpses rather than leave them there to decay. Once the fire died, he gathered as much food, water, and supplies as he could fit into his rucksack and returned to his wife, never to be seen or heard from again until six years later on a fishing trip with his son.