Lance Cpl. Patrick W. Schimmel, of Winfield, Missouri. He was a normal young man growing up, quiet and shy, he was a Boy Scout and a member of the cross-country team. As a teenager, he wore baggy black clothes and spiked hair. He graduated from Winfield High School in 2006 and joined the Marine Corps that November, fufilling his dream of serving his country, just like his father, who had served as a Marine during the Vietnam War. Patrick was too thin when he first wanted to enlist, and he had to be fattened up to meet their minimum weight requirements. Pat loved boot camp, he grew physically and mentally, changing from boy to man quickly, and developing a sense of purpose. He deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from October 2007 to May 2008. Patrick was promoted to the rank of lance corporal on January 1, 2008, and his duties were to drive military vehicles and work as a translator between English and Arabic languages. In May of 2009, he left for Afghanistan and was critically injured on August 9, 2009 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province. He was flown to a hospital in Germany where he died. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. His awards include the Iraqi Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medals. He was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously. Patrick was the son of Wayne M. and Mary Jean Schimmel; brother of Matthew R. Schimmel; boyfriend of Linda Anderson; nephew of Julie Lorenzo, Robert T. Schimmel, Jr., and Bryan Schimmel. He was preceded in death by his grandparents.

A note here that Patrick's parents gave an interview with the paper in which they said Patrick passed away in Germany after being transported from Afghanistan. The Department of Defense release says he died in Afghanistan.