Army Pfc. Patrick A. Devoe II

Died March 8, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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27, of Auburn, N.Y.; assigned to 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska; died March 8 in Kandau Kalay, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.

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Father: Son loved adventure

The Associated Press

FORT RICHARDSON, Alaska — The father of an Alaska-based soldier from Auburn, N.Y., who’s been killed in Afghanistan says his son loved adventure.

Patrick Devoe Sr. says his son, Pfc. Patrick A. Devoe II, “had a great love for life.”

The 27-year-old Fort Richardson soldier was killed March 8 by a roadside bomb in Kandau Kalay. He joined the Army in January 2008.

He was assigned in July to the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, at the Anchorage base.

Devoe’s father says his son spent a few years as a contractor and studied culinary arts at a New York state university.

He is survived by a girlfriend and 1-year-old daughter.

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Hundreds gather for fallen soldier’s send-off

The Associated Press

AUBURN, N.Y. — Family and friends remembered a central New York soldier killed in Afghanistan earlier this month as someone who made those around him laugh and feel good.

As many as 300 people gathered March 16 at St. Mary’s Church for a memorial service for Army Pfc. Patrick Devoe II, who was killed March 8 by a roadside bomb while on patrol in Kandau Kalay.

Devoe’s smile “would light up a room, his laugh was infectious,” said Army Maj. Kevin Swab, reading a letter from one of Devoe’s friends.

Many people wept as Devoe’s flag-draped coffin was brought out of the church. Police and members of the Patriot Guard stood by to escort Devoe’s coffin to a private burial at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Owasco. A bell rang at Auburn’s Memorial City Hall in Devoe’s honor as the funeral procession passed.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jason Cooper, 19, of Auburn stood outside the church with his mother, Cindy, to salute the fallen soldier. Neither knew the 27-year-old Devoe.

“But we lost a brother and I wanted to pay my respects,” said Cooper, who just returned Saturday from a seven-month deployment to Iraq and is heading to Afghanistan in November.

Devoe joined the Army last year and was planning to make a career of it, his family said.

“He loved it. He said it was the best thing that ever happened to him,” said Patrick Devoe Sr.

Devoe was assigned to the airborne division of the 40th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Richardson in Alaska. He had been in Afghanistan for less than a month when he was killed.

“If it wasn’t him, it would be someone else. I’m not upset about it. It’s the way of life, I guess,” his father said. “They’re soldiers. They know what they’re getting into. There’s always that chance no matter who you are.”

Susan-Kealoha Capone said she was worried when her son enlisted in January 2008, but said she was proud of his decision to serve his country. Like any mother, Capone said, she feared the worst.

“I was scared to death because of something like this. But in the long run, it was his decision and I am very proud of the choice he made,” Capone said.

Pat Devoe said his son loved collecting baseball cards and enjoyed playing goalie on youth soccer teams and camping with his family as a youngster. He was working construction when he decided to enlist.

Joe Devoe said his brother always seemed happy.

“He just had no cares in the world. You could talk to him about anything in the world,” Joe said.

Devoe spent three weeks at home on leave in December. Capone said it was the first time her son was able to spend time with his 16-month-old daughter. He cherished the opportunity and doted on her.

Capone said when her son left, she promised him to show his daughter pictures of her father to keep his memory alive. She plans to follow through on that promise.

“When she gets older, she’ll know. She’ll know what kind of dad, what kind of person he was. She’ll know all about him,” Capone said.

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Fallen soldier was looking to make Army his career

The Associated Press

Pfc. Patrick A. DeVoe II loved eating and he loved preparing dishes.

Devoe even loved food enough to briefly study culinary arts before joining the Army.

“He could take cottage cheese and burgers, mix them together, and make it sound good,” said his mother, Susan-Kealoha Capone.

DeVoe, 27, of Auburn, N.Y., died March 8 in Kandau Kalay when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was a 2000 high school graduate and was assigned to Fort Richardson.

DeVoe joined the Army last year and was planning to make a career of it, said his father, Patrick DeVoe. “He wanted to be a lifer. He loved it. He said it was the best thing that ever happened to him,” he said.

DeVoe loved collecting baseball cards and enjoyed playing goalie on youth soccer teams and camping with his family as a youngster.

He was working construction when he decided to enlist.

“He was really kind, smart and funny. He could always make you laugh. No matter what, he could always make you smile,” said Kimberly Harkness, the soldier’s aunt.

He also is survived by his stepmother, Karen, and a 16-month old daughter, Jazzibell.