https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/california-based/oscar-a-martinez/ The latest user comments on Oscar A. Martinez en-us https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c184771 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c184771 The first time I met Nadia a mother a friend was to do a documentary on her son Patrick. I met with this larger than life beautiful woman who with her French accent touched my heart in seconds because her love for her son was mammoth. I am a mother too but this mother was on a mission to make sure her son's name was not forgot. War is not the answer and Patrick did not die in vain he loved his country and his people and tried to make a difference. When I went to do the documentary I was told no so many times-because no one wanted to see what happened to Patrick, it wasn't that they didn't care it was that they just did not understand. I have fought for years to get this documentary made-and hope to get this into a film instead. I love you Nadia for never forgetting what is important... Sat, 11 Jun 2016 12:57:35 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c184144 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c184144 I met Patrick when I used to wait on him at Applebee's in Tracy. He was always so polite and sweet. Always had a wonderful smile on his face. I was so upset when I read about his death. I still have the newspaper article saved, some 14 years later. I often think about him and the sacrifice he made for his country. What a terrible price to pay. I'm so sorry his family has to live without him. Just doesn't seem fair. Fri, 29 Apr 2016 12:03:53 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c136945 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c136945 Dear Muriah, Thank you so much for sharing your memories, I treasure all memories of Patrick. Thank you for your service to our country. Feel free to call if you like to talk... FROM Muriah: I would like to introduce myself, my name is Muriah and I served in Iraq from Jan - Jan 2004/05. I was a combat medic and secondary 50 cal gunner on 5 ton gun trucks for convoys. I was stationed at LSA Anaconda and that is where I met Sgt. McCaffrey. He has been weighing on my mind a lot lately. I ran with him in Iraq in April, May, and June of 2004. I was an Air Force Gun Truck company that also provided force protection and security. Patrick's crew started running with us when we started pushing Turkish tankers to Falluja and Syrian border. We were on the same convoy the day Patrick was ambushed. The roads were black and we were coming into BIAP if my memory serves me correctly. We were told at the last minute to take a different route and detour off of rout Irish the Tiger team stayed on the same route. I remember hearing a Tiger team was hit but my life was very busy too, constantly off and on convoy and it wasnt until a couple of days later I was able to meet up with the crew in the chow hall and that's when I heard the news. I don't know why it has taken me this long to look up his story/family maybe because I'm still healing (I'm rated as 100% total perm PTSD). I hope you don't mind me writing and I am attaching a picture of the boys on our our 1st trip to Falluja. The story behind the picture they were telling VERY NAUGHTY DIRTY JOKES and singing 90's R&B song's and I remember Patrick always smiling and laughing and he should be the one standing (sunglasses) next to the HumV behind LT Tyson is up front. Thank you for your service and I am sorry for your loss Tue, 05 Nov 2013 10:47:38 -0800 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c83427 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c83427 With all my love, always....Mom. If Tomorrow Never Comes If I knew it would be the last time that I’d see you fall asleep, I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord, your soul to keep. If I knew it would be the last time that I see you walk out the door, I would give you a hug and kiss and call you back for one more. If I knew it would be the last time I’d hear your voice lifted up in praise, I would video tape each action and word, so I could play them back day after day. If I knew it would be the last time, I could spare an extra minute or two to stop and say “I love you,” instead of assuming, you would know I do. If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your day, well I’m sure you’ll have so many more, so I can let just this one slip away. For surely there’s always tomorrow to make up for an oversight, and we always get a second chance to make everything right. There will always be another day to say our “I love you’s,” and certainly there’s another chance to say our “Anything I can do’s?” But just in case I might be wrong, and today is all I get, I’d like to say how much I love you and I hope we never forget. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike, and today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight. So if you’re waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today? For if tomorrow never comes, you’ll surely regret the day, that you didn’t take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss and you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their one last wish. So hold your loved ones close today, whisper in their ear, tell them how much you love them and that you’ll always hold them dear, take time to say “I’m sorry,” “please forgive me”, “thank you” or “it’s okay”. And if tomorrow never comes, you’ll have no regrets about today. Author Unknown Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:26:42 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c82546 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c82546 Will Pearson, that was me helping McCaffrey with the IV in the last video before the ambush. I looked up to him like the older brother I never had. He taught me how to lift weights to actually see results. I think about that day we got ambushed all the time Sun, 05 Aug 2012 08:38:35 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c82544 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c82544 Jessie Schager I miss my brother! It was an honor to have met him, to have known him, and to have served with him! I love you bro, keep a cloud open for me!!! Sun, 05 Aug 2012 08:34:26 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c82542 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c82542 I Didn't Know > RJ Willing (Classmate......fello--w Soldier ) I didn't know Patrick personally but share in your loss. It's sad to lose a Soldier but even sadder to lose such a good man. Know that each time a Soldier falls, there are thousand here to help. Stories like Patrick's let those who may not know what true sacrifice is and perhaps can change a heart.... Or two. Sun, 05 Aug 2012 08:29:06 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c55059 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c55059 Still On Patrol By Jessie Schager (OIF Veteran, friend) Friday, June 10, 2011 For the Brothers I lost in Iraq, and dedicated to everyone who has lost someone in combat... Still On Patrol Like waves that smash against the rocky coast, Memories I hold smash against my soul, The guilt of leaving you behind wearing at the very inner parts of my being, The nights keep getting longer, The days getting darker than the day before, The day you were taken from us comes back around like clockwork, Reopening the wound, Learning to live again made hard by the memories from my past, I could never change what has happened, That doesn’t mean I don’t wish it with all that I have left, My heart forever next to you while you are still on patrol, Can I learn to live again? Or is this my punishment for not being there for you? I am sorry for letting you down, my brother, Please forgive me, so that my soul can find a place to rest, right next to you. Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:30:55 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c53704 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c53704 Memories of an old friend, Joe Mulholland (Fellow Soldier ) Pat and I went through Basic Training together. I cannot put into words how much of an influence he was on myself and the rest of the platoon. No matter how hard it got no matter how bleak things appeared to be he always there reassuring us that we would be just fine. He was a natural leader one of only a few that we had. I wish I had more time to get to know him. After I learned of his death I was walking through the grocery store magazine aisle. A copy of "Import Tuner" magazine caught my eye (which was odd because I'm more of a big truck kind of guy) but I opened it saw the Infinity G35 with Patrick's face painted on the side. I immediately began balling...in the middle of the grocery store. My brother had no idea why I was crying until later when I explained why. I still have that copy of Import Tuner Magazine and I do not intend on getting rid of it. Patrick was and still is a part of my life. I thank him for everything he did for me even though I'm sure he didnt think much of it at the time. I am truly sorry for your family's loss. I feel the world is a better place knowing that Patrick McCaffrey was a part of it. Thank you and God Bless. Joe Mulholland Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:24:05 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c40337 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/patrick-r-mccaffrey-sr/#c40337 To my fallen commrade, The hardest thing to envision was the loss of a friend and a fellow platoon member. The hardest thing that hit me was the rollcall, that you would no longer be among us. From that day on it took all my strength both physically and emotionally to make it through. You, Lt Tyson and SFC Ottolini are our loss and we will never forget. Your compassion for taking care of others, your big heart, your infectious personality, you were always steady and firm and 2nd Platoon could always count on you. Even though you have left us, we still feel as you have never left. Patrick, you are still our guardian angel, watching over us and your family wherever we are. Your one-hundred brothers will never forget you, Lt. Tyson and SFC Ottolini. Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:51:16 -0700