Army Sgt. Nicholas J. Patterson

Remember Our Heroes

Army Sgt. Nicholas J. Patterson, 24, of Rochester, Ind.

Sgt. Patterson was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Sept. 10, 2007 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.

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.”

Army Sgt. Nicholas J. Patterson was killed in Iraq on 9/10/07.