Justin T. Paton
Private First Class, United States Army
July 4, 1982 – February 17, 2007
Age – 24
Alanson, MI
Operation Iraqi Freedom
2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX
Died in Taraia, Iraq of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire
A 2000 graduate of Inland Lakes High School was killed Saturday Iraq.
The family of Army Pfc. Justin T. Paton of Alanson received notification Monday that he died when his patrol came under fire 40 miles north of Baghdad.
Dickinson said her brother was a member of the 1st Cavalry Division, Delta Company and had recently been named the unit’s leader. He was deployed to Iraq on Oct. 31, 2006. He had worked as a rehabilitation technician at Northern Michigan Hospital before joining the Army in 2005.
Family members said that Paton was born on July 4, 1982, and always thought that the fireworks were for his birthday. “They will be from now on,” all agreed.
Paton’s high school football coach remembered him Monday as “a bright young man and a fantastic kid – the kind of kid you hope your own son grows up to be.” Inland Lakes Principal Don Killingbeck also recalled a visit he received from Paton, 24, last fall just before he went overseas. “He stopped in the school last fall and he had acquired a real physical presence with all his weight-lifting since I had last seen him, he looked like a pro football player. I gave him an Inland Lakes T-shirt to wear over there.” Killingbeck said he had also taught Paton in a driver’s education class. “Indian River has lost a good son and a bright leader, someone who would have come back and had the ability to serve the community and be productive.”
The son of Donald and Shelley Paton of Alanson, Justin is also survived by a sister, Stormy Dickinson, a brother Alan Parkey and numerous other family members.
He was remembered by fellow soldiers with the following words.
To a great friend.
Words cannot describe how much smaller the world seems without you here. Sometimes I wake up at night and swear that we were back in Iraq and just talking and hanging out. I will never forget you. To the family of Justin, I am naming my first born sun after him in his honor. God bless
Jason
My name is SGT DeAngelo – I knew Justin very well , when he came to Ft. Hood TX, I was his team leader – we went on many training missions before we were shipped to Iraq, I remember him coming over to my house one night as we were going out to party – he asked me hey SGT DeAngelo I don’t have a knife. Do u think I can buy one of u before we go to Iraq. I gave Justin one of my best knives so that he would have one before he went to Iraq -Justin was one of my good friends and I will always miss him – if you have any questions please contact me as I will answer any thing you have to ask – SGT. DEANGELO
Bernard DeAngelo