DURHAM - By the beginning of August, Corporal Daniel Patterson expects to be firmly planted on North American soil, far from Iraq, where he served as a U.S. Marine as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The 20-year-old Durham Region native, whose parents, Dave and Roberta, live in Newcastle, is currently en route home via ship, after a war in which he was meritoriously promoted from Lance-Corporal to Corporal.
The reasons for his promotion can't currently be revealed, he said in an e-mail interview.
"Yes, it was because of my performance during the war, and my role when I first left on 'advanced party,'" he says. "I'm sorry I can't give you any more details on this subject at this point; perhaps when I get back, I'll be able to share the story behind it."
Much of what local residents saw on television during the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Corp. Patterson experienced in real life.
"As far as the operation goes, my unit was involved in several missions, including the takeover of Basra International Airport at the beginning of the war," writes the Monsignor Paul Dwyer graduate, who as a dual Canada-U.S. citizen, joined the Marines almost three years ago.
"My job in the Marines has a lot to do with landmine warfare, and I guess you could say, all the training we have done got put to good use," he says, noting it's all part of the job. "I know people don't really understand what we do, but you have to realize we have a job to do, just like everyone else. Yeah, most of the time it's not pleasant, and we do things that we never imagined, but it's necessary, because it has to be done.
"I wish we didn't have to go through a war, I really do, but obviously things could not be settled diplomatically," says the Marine, who left his base in California in January to go to the war zone.
After the main portion of the war effort, Corp. Patterson spent time in Baghdad, helping people recover.
"They were terrified of us at first, but once they saw we were there to help, they totally opened up to us," the Marine recalls. "They didn't have hardly anything to offer, but they would still go out of their way to see that we would have cold bottled water, hot coffee in the morning, etcetera."
The Marine admits to fear in the face of combat.
"It would be a total lie if I said I was never scared, but what frightened me the most was not being able to say goodbye to the people who love me," he says, noting he wrote letters to many important people in his life, "just to say hi, because that may have been the last chance I get," he says.
"I don't know - I just thought that I had to contact certain people and say certain things to them I would have never said before."
Though he only got a chance to talk to his parents a few times, and even then, for only a few minutes, Corp. Patterson says many of the important people in his life were never far from his mind. In his helmet were pictures of his family and best friends, as well as an American flag.
"I taped these three things in my helmet because that's my motivation, that's what makes me strive in combat," he says.
The local Marine's ship docked briefly in Sydney, Australia, earlier this week, allowing him a bit of rest and relaxation before returning to sea for the remainder of the trip home. He boarded the USS Cleveland in late May, and works hard to pass time while on board.
"To stay busy, I do a lot of running, working out and to kick back, we play a lot of cards. I also teach about three classes a week to Marines under me on different military subjects and about my job, because a lot of Marines have no idea about what my unit does because we are a real unique part of the Marine Corps," he says.
Corp. Patterson expects to be back in California before Aug. 1, then back to Canada on leave a few weeks later. In spite of having been so far from home with his personal safety so uncertain for so long, he says he doesn't regret his choice to become a Marine.
"When I left for the Marines, I left a lot behind, and I've made a lot of sacrifices, but it's just a little price to pay for what I feel inside," he says.
