Travis Patriquin dies of injuries from I.E.D.

Travis Patriquin wanted so badly to join the military as a teenager that he contemplated dropping out of high school, but he followed his father's advice and earned his diploma.

Shortly after he graduated in 1992, he enlisted in the Army.

His leadership abilities and talent for learning languages helped him rise through the ranks, eventually becoming an Army captain. Fluent in Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese, among other languages, he served in many parts of the world in the last 14 years, including Central America and Afghanistan.

Patriquin, 32, honed his linguistic skills at the Defense Language Institute in Monterrey, Calif., and earned a degree from Campbell University in North Carolina, said Eric Schuller, a spokesman for Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn.

Gary Patriquin of Lockport said his son was stationed in Iraq when he was killed Wednesday. The Department of Defense had not released details of Patriquin's death as of late Friday afternoon, and the family had no additional information.

"Travis wouldn't ask anybody to do anything he wouldn't do," his father said. "He would put himself in harm's way before he would put someone else there. That's just the way he was."

He said his son—who was with the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, serving Tikrit—was awarded a Bronze Star for defending fellow troops behind enemy lines in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Besides his parents, Patriquin is survived by his wife, Amy; three children, Emily, 7, Harmon, 5, and Logan,1; and three siblings. His wife and children live in Germany, but may return to the United States.

"As a father, he was fantastic," Gary Patriquin said. "His son, Harmon, is a carbon copy of him. Travis was a little defiant growing up, and so is Harmon. Emily is [almost] 8 going on 30. She is going to have worry lines on her forehead. They're all so cute."

Schuller said Quinn's office came into contact with the Patriquins about two weeks ago, when they asked for help with airline arrangements to get the family home for the holidays.

"Instead of coming home for Christmas, she is coming home to bury her husband," he said.

Gary Patriquin said his son generally shied away from sports as a boy and would spend his time reading. Greek mythology was a favorite.

He lived in Lockport with his parents from the mid-1980s to the early '90s, when he moved in with an aunt in Missouri to finish high school.

Gary Patriquin said he knew his son's job was dangerous.

"You live with the thought that something could happen, but he truly loved what he was doing and I supported that," he said. "We live in a free country, and to have this freedom, people have to be willing to give their lives for it."

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