Chef Mark Sierra honors fallen Air Force Captain Tyler Voss with a heartfelt portrait, surprising the Voss family with the tribute at his Tex-Mex restaurant.
BOERNE, Texas — For many, Memorial Day is a time of reflection. For Chef Mark Sierra, it’s a call to action—one rooted in service, sacrifice, and a profound sense of honor.
Sierra, a U.S. Army veteran and owner of Compadres Hill Country Cocina in Boerne, first came into the spotlight in 2021 for serving up Tex-Mex barbecue with a side of patriotism. But this Memorial Day, the former soldier-turned-chef shifted his focus to something deeper: a tribute to a local Gold Star family.
Sierra is also an artist. His restaurant’s walls are lined with military memorabilia and vivid paintings—many of them his own. “It’s a form of therapy for me,” Sierra said. “I want to get lost somewhere else… where something else takes over me.”
The Boerne native’s artistic journey began at just four years old. By the time he graduated high school, he was tattooing in Fort Worth and later brought his creative talents into combat zones, tattooing fellow soldiers in Iraq. “I’m in a combat zone, tattooing two or three soldiers a night,” he recalled. His art quickly became a way to connect and lift spirits during difficult times.
These days, Sierra creates military tributes only a couple of times a year. Each one is deeply personal. His latest? A powerful airbrush portrait of U.S. Air Force Captain Mark “Tyler” Voss, a Boerne native killed in a 2013 refueling mission over Kyrgyzstan. Sierra researched Voss’ life and legacy to bring the portrait to life.
“This is my way of honoring them as if I served beside them,” Sierra said. “His legacy is pretty big in the Boerne community.”
Though his restaurant is normally closed Sundays, Sierra opened its doors this past weekend to surprise the Voss family with the painting. Tyler’s mother, Marcy, was overcome with emotion.
“There were so many emotions that it was hard to describe,” she said, after viewing the painting for the first time. “I was so honored by the work that Mark did… just the memories of my son.”
The painting, not yet framed, will likely be displayed in Boerne ISD—either at the district offices or at Voss Middle School, named after the fallen pilot.
For Sierra, the tribute offered more than a way to give back—it offered a piece of healing, too.
“I still feel like I have so much to give, so much to put on paper,” he said. “Do I have my life figured out? I don’t. Every day is a decision. Every day I have a choice. And I’m here.”
