Joseph Patrick Dwyer

Joseph Patrick Dwyer (* 1977 in Wagram , Suffolk County , New York ; † June 29, 2008 in Pinehurst , North Carolina ) is considered the first war hero in the Iraq war in the US press .

Life

He grew up in Wagram, Suffolk County , New York. His three brothers were employed by the police in Manhattan . The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 influenced him so much that he reported to the US armed forces on September 13, 2001. He was trained as a medic and served in the 3rd Squadron of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 3rd US Infantry Division .

On March 25, 2003, his unit was involved in a battle with Iraqi militias south of Baghdad near Al Faysaliyah . The day before, his Humvee was hit by a bullet and he was unharmed. Iraqi civilians were also wounded in the battle, including a four-year-old boy with a leg wound. Dwyer lifted the boy in his arms for medical care.

At that moment he was met by photo reporter Warren Zinn of Army Times magazine , who spontaneously photographed Dwyer during his relief effort. This photo appeared on the front page of USA Today and many other newspapers shortly thereafter . It was also shown on television. His parents gave many interviews about their now nationally known son. In Iraq, however, he had no idea at first that he had become the first war hero of the US armed forces in Iraq.

When he returned to the United States, his wife Marina, to whom he had only been married since February 15, 2003, noticed that his mental state had changed. He was prone to alcoholic beverages, substance inhalation, and nightmares . In early 2005, while he was living in El Paso , Texas , he crashed his vehicle because he believed he saw a bomb on the street. In October 2005, he shot alleged Iraqis whom he believed he had seen when they tried to attack him.

He initially received medical aid from the US armed forces from the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso. But over the years this help could not free him from his psychological stress. He later moved to Pinehurst , North Carolina . He died there on June 29, 2008 after inhaling excessive gases for sedation from an aerosol can. In a statement to his family, he said it would have been better for him if he had remained an unknown soldier .

Web links

• Spiegel.de: "Demons in the head" article from March 25, 2010
• Clues to the fate of JP Dwyer
• The photo of Warren Zinn with Dwyer and the child
• A report from El Paso of Dwyer's problems
• Warren Zinn describes the scene with Dwyer before the photo