Posted on 01/24/2005 2:18:22 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
AUSTIN, Texas -- First Lt. Travis Patterson of the U.S. Marine Corps comes from a long line of men to serve in the military during wartime, but his experience has been nothing like that of his relatives.
The carnage he has seen was not caused by the actions of man. It has been the result of the tsunami that ravaged the shores of the Indian Ocean.
Patterson, 28, who lives in Houston, was on his way to fight in Iraq, when his ship was diverted to Sumatra, Indonesia, to help in the relief effort. Patterson prepared himself to fight, but instead, he has helped provide more than 100 tons of humanitarian aid, including clothes, food and water, to people in areas decimated by the tsunami.
Patterson's father, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, remains proud that his son has carried on the family's tradition of military service that stretches back to the Civil War.
"His dad was a Marine. I guess the tradition still continues," Jerry Patterson said. "The tradition is not unique to me. I think it is the rural, the southern, the Texas thing to do."
The military trained Travis Patterson to fly the Cobra attack helicopter, but he has not flown recently. Instead, he has been a passenger on other, less threatening looking, choppers that have flown relief missions from the USS Bonhomme Richard.
"I tell you that it was one of the best things I have ever done to hand out a box of food and a box of water and see the gratitude in the man's eyes," Patterson wrote in an e-mail. "The people were friendly, grateful and you could see that they had been in trouble for some time."
The Patterson family's history of serving during wartime reaches all the way back to the Civil War.
Travis Patterson's father, the land commissioner, served 25 years in the active and reserve U.S. Marine Corps, including a tour in Vietnam in 1972 to 1973. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1993.
Jerry Patterson's father, also named Jerry, flew a B-24 Liberator bomber in the Pacific theater during World War II. He was called back to active duty during Korea and flew missions based out of Ellington Field in Houston. Also, the land commissioner's stepfather, Bob Auderer, joined the Navy in World War II, and served on the USS Cassin Young in the Pacific.
Travis Patterson's great grandfather, Emmett Patterson, joined the Navy in World War I, and was later drafted into the Army in World War II at the age of 42.
Before him, Travis Patterson's great, great grandfather, Cpl. James Monroe Cole, served in the Confederate Army.
For now, Travis Patterson will be helping tsunami survivors and it's unclear when and if might be deployed to Iraq.
But as long as he is away from his family, Travis Patterson will have two things with him. First, a piece of advice handed down from the previous generation: "Check Six," as in 6 o'clock, which means watch your back. And second, he has a small pocket-sized Bible that was given to his grandfather during World War II. It is the same one Jerry Patterson took to Vietnam.
"It's kind of worn around the edges, as much from carrying as reading I must confess," Jerry Patterson said. "But its 60 years old and has worked so far."
I would vote for him!!!
Good for his boy too! What a history!
More great Americans doing great things!
Bump!
"Texas Proud" and grateful!
AMERICA..HOME OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE
Exactly!!
My family has been a military family for generations also. Ever since we were kicked out of Scotland for horse thievery...
Thanks for the ping!
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