Our Latest American Hero #50

travislpatriquin
Originally uploaded by Randuwa.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of [Army Capt. Travis L. Patriquin, 32, of (San Angelo) Texas] who [was] supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.  [He] died Dec. 6 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near [his] HMMWV during combat operations.  [He was] assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Giessen, Germany.

“Local Soldier Killed”
WITH FAMILY ROOTS IN LOCKPORT, IL

LOCKPORT -- Capt. Travis Patriquin, a former Lockport student whose Army achievements included service in Iraq and Afghanistan, numerous special forces missions and the ability to speak multiple languages, was killed Wednesday in Iraq, his parents said.

Patriquin, 32, was with the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, serving in Tikrit, Iraq, said his parents, Gary and Connie Patriquin of Lockport.

Details of the incident in which Patriquin was killed were unconfirmed as of Thursday night, his parents said.

Surviving family includes Patriquin's wife, Amy, and three children, Emily, 7, Harmon, 5, and Logan, 1, who live in Bonstadt, Germany. His family moved there when he was assigned to Frankfurt.

"He wanted everyone to know what a good job the Army was doing in Ramadi, and he had a lot of Iraqi friends who will miss him, as well as friends throughout the world," Connie Patriquin said.

SOLDIER’S LIFE

Travis Patriquin was born Aug. 15, 1974, in St. Louis. He attended St. Dennis School in Lockport and graduated from eighth grade there in 1988.

He graduated from Francis Howell North High School in St. Charles, Mo., in 1992. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army.

In boot camp, Patriquin showed intelligence and excellent leadership skills, his father said. The young man was offered training in special forces. He attended Ranger school, and entered the special forces, but information on those operations is classified.

His parents know from their son's accounts that he served a minimum of two tours of duty in Central America around 1993 or 1994, his parents said.

When Patriquin returned to America, he was stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. At that point, he was considering leaving the Army.

Instead, he opted to attend the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif. The institute is part of the former military complex known as the Presidio.

There, he met his future wife. The couple married in 1998.

Also in California, his outgoing personality led to friendships with two Arabic speakers from Egypt. He already was learning Arabic, and the two friends helped teach him conversational Arabic. This enhanced the language skills he would use in Iraq.

Patriquin spoke several languages, including Spanish, two Central American Indian dialects, Portuguese and Arabic. When he was in the United States, Patriquin translated Arabic for the U.S. government, said his brother Daniel.

Upon completion of his training in California, he returned to service at Fort Campbell, still participating in special operations. Once again, he was looking at leaving the military.

Instead, he attended officer school at Fort Benning, Ga. He graduated from officer training school and was stationed in Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C.

His love was special forces. He always wanted to be a Ranger. But now he was with the infantry.

"It's sad to say he never got his (Ranger) cord," his father said. "He accomplished it, he went through it the first time -- but then he got pulled into co-op operations."

Patriquin served about six months in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. In Afghanistan, he once fought behind enemy lines for 18 hours, and received a Bronze Star. His unit started Operation Anaconda.

He served in Afghanistan despite a knee injury that required a knee brace that had steel supports on each side, which his daughter called a "bionic brace." He still was able to jump out of planes in that brace.

After service in Afghanistan, Patriquin eventually was stationed in Germany. On Patriquin's birthday -- Aug. 15 -- in 2005, his third child, Logan, was born.

Patriquin was assigned to Iraq in January 2006. Because he spoke Arabic fluently, he already had been to Iraq several times on special forces missions.

MILITARY FAMILY

In Iraq, Patriquin served with the same Army unit that his grandfather, John Patriquin, served with in World War II, his family said.

One of Patriquin's uncles served in Vietnam. Another served in the Air Force during Desert Storm. Patriquin's brother Daniel works for the Will County police. His mother works for the federal government.

Patriquin's family in Lockport is setting up a trust fund for his family in Germany.

James Antole, Lockport's interim city administrator and police chief, has a son, Joseph, serving in Iraq, and all of Antole's children attended St. Dennis School during roughly the same years as the Patriquin siblings did.

"I can sympathize with the family. This is my second year with my son in Iraq," Antole said. "I'd just like to give my deepest condolences to the family."

Survivors here include Patriquin's parents, Gary and Connie; and three siblings, Daniel, 29, Karrie, 27, and Steven, 22.

"He's my brother, but he's also my hero," his siblings said in a joint statement Thursday night.