EXPLORER - La Salle College High School

“The best way to
find yourself is to
lose yourself in the
service of others.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Quote found under
the photo of Patrick T.
McCarthy in the 2002
edition of the Blue and
Gold (yearbook).
At West Point I learned that “Selfless Service”
is one of the seven Army Values (Loyalty, Duty,
Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity,
and Personal Courage) – values and principles
so deeply ingrained in every Soldier that many
of them wear a “dog tag” outlining those values
on a chain around their necks. It serves as an
ever-present reminder that Selfless Service is a
cornerstone value in our lives. St. John Baptist
de La Salle dedicated his life to the service of the
poor and like him we too have a call to a life of
service to our country. As an Engineer Officer
and Soldier currently deployed to Mosul, Iraq;
the idea of service is still a very important
function in my life and the lives of my Soldiers.
We did not come to Iraq because we wanted war,
but because we don’t want war, and we’re certain
that without a struggle for democracy, stability,
and human liberty in the Middle East there can
be no peace. We continue on with the hope that
our service will allow our nation to achieve
that end in the Middle East and spare future
generations the pain of war.
The 94th Engineer Battalion has constructed over 100 Combat Outposts, repaired ten bridges,
conducted close to 500 culvert and crater repairs, and conducted over 150 miles of route sanitation
throughout the city of Mosul and Northern Iraq. The continued effort that the Soldiers of this
battalion have displayed towards the Iraqi Police, Iraqi Army, and the Iraqi People is awe inspiring.
I share with them an immense pride and esprit-de-corps, which comes from being a member in the
United States Army and in the service that we provide to this country. The Sapper Creed states,
“I am a Sapper, the cutting edge of my country’s sword.” Sappers are combat engineers who advance
with the front-line infantry, and they have fought in every war in American history. Sappers
build and repair fortifications and weaken the enemy with demolitions and heavy equipment in
order to lead the infantry to victory on the battlefield. Like Sappers guiding the Infantry, the notion
of selfless service guides a Soldier’s life in service to others; for we are the point and will continue
to cut forward.
La Salle provided me with a strong education and moral foundation on which to go forward
in life. It prepared me for my future and gave me the knowledge, understanding and memories that
I will continue to look back on for strength in difficult times.
1st Lt. Patrick T. McCarthy, USA ’02