Family lined the front yard of a small home in Pharr Friday evening.
They gathered to watch an American flag raised, a symbol of their loved one lost in battle.
As music began, the son of Army Sergeant Rodolfo Rodriguez Jr. held on to a Dallas Cowboys teddy bear.
His mom held him even tighter.
Her strength held steady at first until her face could no longer hide the pain of a husband gone forever.
An improvised land mine killed Rodolfo Rodriguez Jr. in Afghanistan September 14th.
His sacrifice is shared by the two young children he leaves behind.
His daughter could be seen draped over the shoulder of a family member.
She only looked up to see her grandmother speak.
Her brother never let go of his teddy bear, draping an American flag handkerchief over it.
It's an image similar to what he saw when meeting his father's flag-draped casket which remains at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
It's an image he'll see again Saturday when his dad's body arrives back home in the Rio Grande Valley.
The body of Army Sergeant Rodolfo Rodriguez Jr. is expected to arrive Saturday shortly after noon at McCreery Aviation in McAllen.
Count on Action 4 News for full coverage of the event.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT