Patrick Werme
Sergeant, United States Marine Corps
January 24, 1991 – July 3, 2018
Age – 27
Portage, Michigan
Operation Enduring Freedom1st Battalion, 5th Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA
After witnessing the tragedy of 9/11, Patrick had his sights set on serving his Country. At the tender age of seventeen, and with his parent’s blessing – he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.
After graduating Schoolcraft High School, he left for basic training. Stationed in Camp Pendleton, Patrick proudly served for eight years. He saw two combat deployments and four tours between Afghanistan, Australia, South Korea, and Japan. During his time enlisted, he was classified as a mortarman, and eventually earned the prestigious role of Sergeant. Patrick was involved in Operation Enduring Freedom with the 1st battalion 1st Marines unit “No Love”. From that point forward, he was driven to reenlist. He was stationed with the 1st battalion 5th Marines. Patrick was a leader and an effective Marine. Most importantly – he was an excellent human being, and a great man.
Patrick came home from overseas but never left the battle. On July 3rd, 2018 he died by his own hand. The fight was over. To say that this tragedy shook the community and his family would be an understatement. An overwhelming amount of support poured in.
Patrick Werme was a sincere, outgoing and gifted athlete. He was a beautiful human being who possessed a winning personality, and intense loyalty to those he loved. Patrick made everyone he met feel special in his presence, and established lasting friendships with ease. Described as an old soul, he was admired for his wisdom, kindness, and deep compassion.
In August of 2015, while stationed in California, he bumped into a woman (Jamie) in a local bar who would soon steal his heart. Shortly after they met, Patrick left on a six-month deployment. Despite the distance, their relationship only grew stronger. Patrick and Jamie decided that they wanted nothing more than to settle down together in the country and raise a family. Luckily for him, Kaylee and Danielle made that dream a reality! Jamie’s two daughters were easy to love, and enjoyed their time with Patrick. He was able to share his passions with them, taking them fishing, mini golfing, bowling, and camping! Nothing brought him greater happiness than playing the role of their father, where he was most certainly a natural. Patrick wanted the very best for them, which was easy to see by the tender way he cared for them, including baiting their hooks – which went against his every intention of encouraging their independence! After teaching them every trick in the book, as it turned out, they were better at fishing than he was!