Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans, 22 of Orlando, Fla.

Spc. Deans was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Dec. 12, 2010 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed were Cpl. Sean M. Collins, Cpl. Willie A. McLawhorn Jr., Spc. Kenneth E. Necochea Jr., Spc. Derek T. Simonetta and Spc. Jorge E. Villacis.

It's clear from Spc. Patrick D. Deans' Facebook page that he understood the danger inherent in becoming a soldier.

"A Veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including their life," Deans posted on his wall Nov. 10. "That is beyond honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer remember that fact."

A little more than a month later, Deans was one of six soldiers killed in Kandahar province, Afghanistan by a suicide bomber. He died Sunday, two days before his 23rd birthday.

Deans served in Iraq during his first tour of duty and was sent to Afghanistan after he reenlisted, said Butch Herdegen, 23, one of Deans' closest friends.

It was in Howz-e Madad that Deans and his fellow soldiers, including Spc. Jorge Villacis, 24, of Sunrise, died when an explosives-packed minibus blew up at the entrance to a joint NATO-Afghan base, the Department of Defense said.

He graduated from Timber Creek High School in Orlando and was a member of the JROTC.

Deans was an Infantryman, who joined the Army in June 2007 and arrived at Fort Campbell in November 2007. Deans’ award and decorations include: Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Army Service Medal and Overseas Service Ribbon.

He is survived by his mother, Robyn Deans, of Oviedo, and his father, Patrick of Orlando.

Army Spc. Patrick D. Deans was killed in action on 12/12/10