NORFOLK, VA. - Men and women daily make the decision to serve our country by joining the military. This decision is possibly one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, decisions one can make. Family moves often, as the person serving is relocated time after time. The spouse has to be as strong as the person serving, as it is crucial for them to show support by adjusting to the constant changes. Joining the service takes one into the unknown, while at the same time gives a sense of self-worth as one’s focus is on the main reason for joining: protecting and serving our country, the United States of America.
Patrick O’Neal was born in Watertown, NY, and at the age of two his family moved to Richmond County where he resided until joining the service. O’Neal attended Richmond Senior High School and in his senior year he made the decision to serve the country by joining the Navy. O’Neal enlisted in February 2005 while still attending high school and was placed on delayed entry. He then graduated high school in May 2005 and entered boot camp in November 2005. From boot camp he was stationed in San Diego, CA where he served until September 2014. He and his family then relocated to Virginia Beach, VA and at the end of this year will again relocate to San Diego. He is the first grandchild in his family to become an officer.
O’Neal has currently been deployed three times: once to the Middle East; once he traveled through Southwest Asia; and once through the Mediterranean. O’Neal stated “Since joining the Navy, I always wanted to become an officer, an achievement that I honestly thought would never happen. I am grateful for the blessings as well as the opportunity that God and the Navy have given me. If I can do it, anyone can!”
He was inspired to join through the encouragement of his family background as well as the desire to see the world. Coming from a long line of family military service, it was an easy decision for him. Beginning with O’Neal’s grandfather, Ed O’Neal Sr., who was a retired Command Sergeant Major, an Army Ranger, and a recipient of three purple hearts while serving in the Vietnam War. He was in Special Services, and a Halo Jumper. O’Neal Sr. retired from the Army in 1976 and was involved in Veterans’ Affairs through VFW and AMVETS for the remainder of his life. Patrick O’Neal’s father, Richard O’Neal, is a retired US Army Master Sergeant who also served as a combat medic and in Special Operations.
O’Neal’s uncle, Ed O’Neal Jr., was the commissioning officer for the ceremony that took place on the USS San Antonio in Norfolk, VA, on August 31, 2018. O’Neal Jr. enlisted in the US Army after high school and is now a retired Lieutenant Colonel, USAF. He served with the 82nd Airborne Division as a Medical Specialist and has received numerous medals including a purple heart.
Attending the ceremony were about 200 people which included O’Neal’s Commanding Officer Edgardo Moreno, numerous family members, friends, and many others who served with O’Neal. “I’m extremely proud of Patrick for his service in the Navy and now to be able to become a commissioned officer. I was very impressed by the ceremony and support he received by his command and was proud to be able to administer Patrick’s commissioning. It shows if you work hard and continue to develop yourself, whether from a small town or a big town, there are opportunities” said O’Neal Jr.
The journey for Patrick O’Neal and his family will continue as he plans to serve until retirement just as his grandfather, father, and uncle have done.
