Faces of La Compañía de Béjar
Photo courtesy: Paul Garcia
Phillip DeLaPena is a 10th generation Texan, local educator, Vice President of the San Antonio Living History Association, founding member of Primer Batallon de Mexico Living History Association, 2015 Texas A&M University Fish Camp Namesake, and 17 year living historian. He holds a B.A. from Texas A&M University and a M.A. in History with focus on the Mexican Borderlands from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He considers portrayal of the Mexican army to be an important responsibility in telling the larger story of the history of Texas under the Mexican flag.
Arturo Romo is 2010 graduate of Brackenridge high school and San Antonio native. He become involved in living history while a high school student and has been hooked ever since.
Joe Campos is a San Antonio native, and lover of Texas history. He considers it an honor and privilege to portray "El Soldado Mexicano".
Ector Aguilar is a graduate of the The University of the Incarnate Word and native of San Antonio. Ector is the founding member of Primer Batallon de Mexico Living History Association and former living history coordinator for The Alamo historical site. He has served as reenactor coordinator for several documentaries and safety officer for multiple productions. He is also the company "shako maker" and leather specialist.
Gerret Swearingen is an elder law attorney who resides in the State of Indiana. Pursuing his passion of history, Gerret Swearingen is an avid living history reenactor of several different time periods. He and his wife, Ruth, serve on the board of directors of their local historical site, Old Fort Wayne, a reconstructed 1812-era fort. They journey from Indiana to Texas annually to portray the often overlooked and misrepresented Soldado and Soldadera of the Early Republic era.