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Patrick William Dwyer
Private First Class
A CO, 2ND BN, 3RD INFANTRY, 199TH INFANTRY BDE, USARV Army of the United States Hollywood, California May 19, 1948 to May 21, 1969 PATRICK W DWYER is on the Wall at Panel W24, Line 65 |
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A bright, intelligent, red headed kid. An only child. Fun loving, caring, a special human being. BE with GOD and know that you are and were loved.
From a fellow soldier, |
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Patrick, I was just 11 years old when you died. I lived two doors down from you in Reseda. I can faintly remember you and my big sister Gayna and the other older kids on the block hanging out together. I went with my mom, Agnes Smith, and another neighborhood mom, Pat Gingo, to your funeral. I had little understanding of the war. I had even less understanding of death. I will never forget seeing you under the glass in your coffin. There were tears left by your sobbing friend Alice Path sprinkled across that glass. I have never forgotten you or that day, Patrick. It had a huge impact on me and forms much of how I view the world today. The nature of power, the futility of violence. All these years I have wanted to know how you died. I don't know why I have this deep connection to you, a young man I barely knew, but I do. It was moving to read Gary C. Franks talking about you. The fact that he remembers you hitting it off so well and the two of you wondering why you were in the Army is haunting and sad. As wars continue to be fought and more people die, I think of you often Patrick. I want to make sense of it. I want to be wise about it. I want it to stop.
May you rest in peace, |
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Pat and I were the best of friends through High School and our early years of college. We were both drafted at the same time and did our Basic Training together at Fort Ord, California. Pat was a great friend and he and I managed to get into a lot of trouble while having a great time. After Basic he was moved to Infantry training while I went to Artillery training in Oklahoma. AIT was easier than basic but still a pain, Pat wrote me about twice a week and complained about everything, that is what made him special no matter what he complained about, he would turn right around and have everyone laughing at whatever was going on. Pat was a very special friend and I still have days when I wish he was here. My hope is that he is resting in peace. I never got to see Pat again after we graduated from Basic Training. What I have today is a great many memories of a red-headed kid always smiling, laughing and bringing a little sunshine into my life.
From a friend, |
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Pat kissed me in a doll house when we were at a 5th grade party and I will never forget him. I took a tracing of his name on a visiting Wall here in California a few years ago. We went all through elementary school together in Reseda. I will never get that tall red haired boy out of my memory, so he does live on. Nice to see that he affected others like he did me.
From a friend, |
A Note from The Virtual WallA Company, 2/3rd Infantry, lost five men on 21 May 1969 in an engagement 5 kilometers northwest of Ben Luc on the Dong Vam Co River:
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