Army Sgt. Nicholas J. Patterson

Died September 10, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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24, of Rochester, Ind.; assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Sept. 10 in Baghdad of injuries sustained in a non-combat-related vehicle rollover. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Yance T. Gray, Staff Sgt. Gregory Rivera-Santiago, Sgt. Michael C. Hardegree, Sgt. Omar L. Mora, Spc. Ari D. Brown-Weeks and Spc. Steven R. Elrod.

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Northern Indiana soldier dies in Iraq

The Associated Press

ROCHESTER, Ind. — A 24-year-old soldier from northern Indiana died while deployed in Iraq, a funeral home said.

Army Sgt. Nicholas Patterson died Sept. 10 in Baghdad, according to Earl-Love Funeral Home in Rochester. Information on the circumstances of Patterson’s death was not immediately released Sept. 12 by the Department of Defense.

Patterson was a 2001 graduate of Rochester High School, where he was a top basketball and baseball player.

“He was a highly competitive, high-energy kid,” baseball coach Brian Hooker said. “You never had to worry about him not bringing his full energy to the field.”

Patterson’s survivors include his wife, Jayme, and their 4-year-old son in North Carolina.

Linda Brennan, who was Patterson’s geometry teacher at the school 40 miles south of South Bend, said he had a zest for life.

“He was hard-working and had a great attitude,” Brennan said. “He had such a great sense of humor and could make a tense moment light.”

Patterson was the 92nd member of the military from Indiana to have died after being sent to the Middle East for the war in Iraq.

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Hundreds pay respects to Indiana soldier killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

ROCHESTER, Ind. — Hundreds of mourners attended a funeral service and parade Sept. 19 for an Indiana soldier who was killed last week in Iraq.

Army Sgt. Nicholas Patterson, a 2001 graduate of Rochester High School, was among seven U.S. soldiers and two detainees who died in a vehicle accident in Baghdad. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C., and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq.

“He had a tough exterior and a tender heart,” the Rev. Steve Fleck told mourners.

The minister talked of the conflicts Patterson had attempted to resolve and of the 24-year-old soldier’s determination to “be the best he could be” or “nothing at all.”

“We live in a broken world” and Patterson died trying to mend it, Fleck said.

Hundreds of people stood on corners and curbs in downtown Rochester, hands over their hearts or holding U.S. flags, as Patterson’s body was escorted to the funeral service at the high school and then to Akron Cemetery for burial.

Dozens of floral tributes lined the hallway to the school’s gymnasium. A quilt was placed on a table for friends to sign, and several easels carried dozens of pictures of Patterson at different ages.

Patterson’s widow, Jayme, told the crowd through tears that she was “blessed” to have had him in her life.

“We left nothing unsaid,” she said.

Other survivors include his 4-year-old son, Reilley, and his parents and stepparents James and Virginia Patterson of Rochester and Jane and Scott Holmes of Warsaw.

Patterson was the 92nd Indiana service member killed in the war.