82nd bestows Silver Star on paratrooper

82nd bestows Silver Star on paratrooper

By Matthew Cox
Staff writer



The 82nd Airborne Division honored one of its paratroopers Friday with a Silver Star for his heroism during an October 2005 firefight in Afghanistan.



Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, commander of the 82nd, presented the country’s third highest award for valor to Staff Sgt. Patric L. Trattles at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Trattles was leading 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment when the Oct. 29 battle began on a mountain range near Lwara, Afghanistan.

The reinforced squad was manning an observation post when it spotted several armed men approaching the company commander’s nearby position.

The quiet, pre-dawn setting soon erupted into a heavy firefight, Trattles recalled in an interview.

“We just kind of started shooting at the same time,” he said.

An award narrative described how “Trattles immediately moved to the area and threw two hand grenades at the assaulting enemy element. This action killed several anti-coalition militia personnel and contributed to effectively halting the initial assault.”

Trattles and his men soon realized they were up against an organized force of about 60 enemy fighters.

“We were pinned down,” he said. “They had one platoon that was right on us, and the other platoon had a higher advantage over us. It was surprising because they were actually doing flanking maneuvers and bounding.”

At one point in the battle, Trattles noticed the enemy attacking a weak point in the perimeter. He picked up an M240B machine gun and moved under fire to that position.

“I reinforced the western side because they were coming under heavy fire with [rocket-propelled grenades] and machine-gun fire,” he said.

Trattles opened fire on several enemy fighters about 25 meters from his position.
He said he knew he’d hit some of them because he “heard people screaming.”

After about 40 minutes, the enemy force started an organized retreat, using sharpshooters to cover their withdrawal, Trattles said.

That’s when a bullet struck Staff Sgt. Travis Nixon in the shoulder.

“He looked at me, and he said ‘I’m dying’ and fell over,” Trattles said. “I saw he was gasping for air. I checked his airway, and he stopped breathing, so I immediately started CPR.”

Trattles said he and the unit medic worked on Nixon until the enemy fire lightened up enough so he could be evacuated.

The squad quickly packed up what they could and moved out.

“I grabbed him and threw him over my shoulders and started running down the mountain,” Trattles said. “I was thinking, ‘I have to get him down there as quick as possible.’ ”

Trattles carried Nixon to Humvees about 150 meters away. Nixon was airlifted out, but he died soon after arriving at the aid station, Trattles said.

“It was just like he was just there joking around with me, and then he was gone,” Trattles said. “It was just a real shock.”

Trattles didn’t have much to say about his Silver Star.

“To me, I did everything I possibly could to get my guys back home safely — that’s what I think about it,” he said.