NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ Army veteran Shawn Patterson knew it was time to turn his life around when he woke up in the driveway of his New Philadelphia home in May 2020, with five police officers on top of him.
Patterson, who served two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, had gone out drinking with a buddy that night. He was in a dark place in his life at that time. He got drunk at a bar and made a scene. His buddy then drove him home. When he got there, he picked a fight with his friend. Patterson got knocked down and then passed out. When he awoke, the officers were on top of him.
The transition from the military to civilian life had been a difficult one for Patterson.
“There was a lot of anger I had when I came home,” he said. “You hear that quite a lot in the veteran community. Depression and isolation set in, just that whole transition from military to civilian life. Not a fun time in my life. I’ve got two failed marriages.
“Loss of identity and purpose, that’s the key. A lot of veterans feel that way when they get out because you’re no longer a soldier. In my case, I was no longer a soldier, and I was no longer a father. I lost visitation of my kids. I completely lost who I was.
“Alcohol was a big thing in my life at that time because of not being able to see my kids. I completely lost my identity. That was my rock bottom. That’s when I realized that there’s more to this whole God thing than I know. So, I started getting involved in church. My wife at the time and I started to go to LifeWay (church in New Philadelphia).”
Patterson then began to take his life in a new direction. He stopped drinking. He has been sober since May 2021. And then he began volunteering, which led him to establish The Redeemed 22 organization, which aims to help area veterans.
“That’s one thing I always convey to veterans I talk to is volunteer work, because there’s so much power in helping others. That really in turn comes back and helps you. You just get connected to other people. You’re not alone. Other people out there are struggling in life. We all need help,” Patterson said.
“It’s only through connecting with others that we can really see our purpose in life. God has created us to be in connection with one another, not to be in isolation, not to separate ourselves. I really truly believe that who we are in this world is not just to enjoy life but also to help others. That’s what we’re here to do is just to make this world better for the next generation.”
Patterson, a 2003 New Philadelphia High School graduate, joined the Army in 2004.
His first overseas deployment was in Afghanistan from March to November 2006. His unit was sent to an area that had previously been controlled by the Taliban, being stationed in a makeshift camp with no bathrooms and no showers at first. It was hit by mortar fire three or four days a week for the first three weeks they were there.
“At times like that, that’s when you really build the comradery, the brotherhood. You become so strong because you have to rely on your brothers and sisters next to you for everything,” Patterson said.
He was sent to Baghdad, Iraq, in November 2007 and was there for 15 months. He was part of a platoon that ran resupply missions. He was also a truck commander in charge of a truck.
“A couple of months into that deployment, one of my best friends got hit with an EFP (Explosively Formed Projectile). It was within a mile of our base. At the time I was running EOD (explosive ordinance disposal) escort for missions. We were on call 24/7. So, we got called out after my buddy got hit. Just seeing the aftermath of that. There were enemy combatants down,” he said.
His buddy lost both of his legs in the attack.
His third overseas deployment was to western Iraq in July 2010.
After he got out of the service in 2012, he struggled to adapt to his new life. He was part of the Veterans Administration system, but he said he relied on alcohol to get himself through.
Once he made the commitment to better his life, Patterson got involved in Celebrate Recovery at LifeWay Church and Authentic Church in New Philadelphia. The program helps people with their addiction to drugs and alcohol, gambling and pornography.
“It’s just a place that made it safe for people to talk about their stuff,” he said, adding that the program has helped him greatly.
He also began volunteering, including Empower Tusc’s suicide prevention program. “He’s a phenomenal volunteer for us,” said Terri Miller, chair of the Empower Tusc Suicide Prevention Committee. She added that Patterson is a hands-on volunteer who does whatever is needed.
Eventually he formed The Redeemed 22 to help veterans in Tuscarawas County with post-traumatic stress. The number 22 is significant because it represents the number of U.S. veterans on average who take their life each day.
“I had always felt like God was calling me to do more. I’ve always been a believer in God. I just didn’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. When I started getting back into church and started getting more involved, I had a revelation. God showed me Isaiah 61, where it states, ‘We’re called to preach to the broken hearted,'” he said.
Through his group, he connects veterans he talks to with organizations that can provide them help. He sponsored a Veterans Resource Fair at New Towne Mall in New Philadelphia in November to provide veterans with health services, job opportunities and educational programs. He is working with Empower Tusc to create a Veterans Ad Hoc Committee to help veterans.
Patterson is also advocating for creation of a Tuscarawas County veterans treatment court, similar to one in Stark County. It would take veterans who are facing low-level or mid-level felony charges and put them in a mentorship program instead of jail. Each veteran would be paired with a veteran mentor and connected to resources they would need to find housing or a job and receive VA healthcare.
“There is a problem that we definitely need to tackle. I believe that the only way to do that is connection with others, getting in touch with your spirituality. Some veterans are really bullheaded with the things that we’ve seen, things that we’ve done and things that we’ve said. In the veteran community it’s hard to believe that there is a God, but I’ve come to realize that he was there in all of that, even in all of the pure evil that comes with war. He was there,” Patterson said.
For more information on Patterson’s organization, visit theredeemed22.org or the group’s Facebook page.
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
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