thedrifter
02-23-09, 07:25 AM
Pair proud to serve, but happy to be home
By Katlynn Lanham
The Facts
Published February 23, 2009
BRAZORIA — Influenced by his family, many of them veterans, and a lifelong desire to serve, Spc. Brandin Patton joined the military.
Patton grew up playing army. In school, he enjoyed being part of the Reserve Officers Training Corps, and he finally joined the Army as soon as he graduated from high school.
As a 21-year-old, Cpl. Todd Willis joined the Marines on a whim, but is no less proud of what he is doing for his country.
The two soldiers were honored Saturday with surprise escorts by the Brazoria County Cavalry upon their return to Brazoria County on leave. Two of Patton’s uncles, Vietnam veterans, also were honored.
“I looked up to them,” the 20-year-old said of his uncles. His family’s involvement in the military is what made him want to enlist.
“I’m a patriot,” Patton said. “I always wanted to be in the Army.”
Patton calls California home, but Brazoria, where his father lives, is his home away from home, he said.
Of the two years Patton has spent in the Army, he has served a year and a half in Baghdad.
“I learned to respect the U.S.,” Patton said.
The level of poverty was much greater in Iraq than he ever saw in the United States, he said.
“I saw a house made out of wood and cereal boxes,” he said.
Though the comforts of home were great, Patton most missed his 16-month-old son, Darril, and wife, Paloma.
“I missed my family a lot,” Patton said.
Patton left home three weeks after Darril was born and has missed his first year of life, something he said he regrets.
“I was very happy to come home and see him,” he said.
However, Patton enjoys the Army and is considering re-enlisting when his time is up in three years, he said.
Patton’s father, Brazoria resident Joe Serbantez, missed his son, he said. He missed just being with him and being able to talk to him, he said.
“I missed his smiling face and his sense of humor,” Serbantez said.
Patton has a sense of humor like his father, Serbantez said.
Though they are able to laugh together, Serbantez worries about Patton. He sends him care packages and letters, he said.
Patton is returning today to Fort Polk, La., with his wife and child. He believes he might soon be redeployed to Afghanistan.
Besides his family, Patton most missed burritos, he said.
“I tried to get an Iraqi guy to make one for me once,” he said. “But I never did that again.”
Willis, a 23-year-old from Lake Jackson, has been a Marine for two years. A year of his time has been spent in Japan, he said.
Willis was working in Lake Jackson when he saw an old friend who had joined the Marines.
“I saw the uniform and I said, ‘I want that uniform,’” he said. “I wanted to be as much like a hero as I could.”
The Brazoswood High School graduate came home for three weeks of leave Thursday. He will return to his station in California and then, “We’ll see,” he said.
Willis also plans to stay in the Marines for as long as he can.
“It’s not a hard job,” Willis said. “The only hard part is being away from home.
“I’m used to being home where my mom takes care of me and I take care of her,” he said.
Though their time together is short, Willis’ mother, Silvia Vargas, is enjoying every minute, she said.
“It’s like having a baby again; it’s wonderful,” Vargas said. “I’m very proud.”
Ellie
By Katlynn Lanham
The Facts
Published February 23, 2009
BRAZORIA — Influenced by his family, many of them veterans, and a lifelong desire to serve, Spc. Brandin Patton joined the military.
Patton grew up playing army. In school, he enjoyed being part of the Reserve Officers Training Corps, and he finally joined the Army as soon as he graduated from high school.
As a 21-year-old, Cpl. Todd Willis joined the Marines on a whim, but is no less proud of what he is doing for his country.
The two soldiers were honored Saturday with surprise escorts by the Brazoria County Cavalry upon their return to Brazoria County on leave. Two of Patton’s uncles, Vietnam veterans, also were honored.
“I looked up to them,” the 20-year-old said of his uncles. His family’s involvement in the military is what made him want to enlist.
“I’m a patriot,” Patton said. “I always wanted to be in the Army.”
Patton calls California home, but Brazoria, where his father lives, is his home away from home, he said.
Of the two years Patton has spent in the Army, he has served a year and a half in Baghdad.
“I learned to respect the U.S.,” Patton said.
The level of poverty was much greater in Iraq than he ever saw in the United States, he said.
“I saw a house made out of wood and cereal boxes,” he said.
Though the comforts of home were great, Patton most missed his 16-month-old son, Darril, and wife, Paloma.
“I missed my family a lot,” Patton said.
Patton left home three weeks after Darril was born and has missed his first year of life, something he said he regrets.
“I was very happy to come home and see him,” he said.
However, Patton enjoys the Army and is considering re-enlisting when his time is up in three years, he said.
Patton’s father, Brazoria resident Joe Serbantez, missed his son, he said. He missed just being with him and being able to talk to him, he said.
“I missed his smiling face and his sense of humor,” Serbantez said.
Patton has a sense of humor like his father, Serbantez said.
Though they are able to laugh together, Serbantez worries about Patton. He sends him care packages and letters, he said.
Patton is returning today to Fort Polk, La., with his wife and child. He believes he might soon be redeployed to Afghanistan.
Besides his family, Patton most missed burritos, he said.
“I tried to get an Iraqi guy to make one for me once,” he said. “But I never did that again.”
Willis, a 23-year-old from Lake Jackson, has been a Marine for two years. A year of his time has been spent in Japan, he said.
Willis was working in Lake Jackson when he saw an old friend who had joined the Marines.
“I saw the uniform and I said, ‘I want that uniform,’” he said. “I wanted to be as much like a hero as I could.”
The Brazoswood High School graduate came home for three weeks of leave Thursday. He will return to his station in California and then, “We’ll see,” he said.
Willis also plans to stay in the Marines for as long as he can.
“It’s not a hard job,” Willis said. “The only hard part is being away from home.
“I’m used to being home where my mom takes care of me and I take care of her,” he said.
Though their time together is short, Willis’ mother, Silvia Vargas, is enjoying every minute, she said.
“It’s like having a baby again; it’s wonderful,” Vargas said. “I’m very proud.”
Ellie