February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Sgt. Patrick Dugan of Philadelphia is stationed in Mosul and has befriended Iraqi children whom he says need some basic supplies.
Dugan, a staff attorney for Philadelphia City Councilman Rick Mariano when he’s not in uniform, has been in Iraq with the 416th Civil Affairs Battalion. He’s also recording secretary with the Ancient Order of Hibernians Div. 40 in Philadelphia, and has appealed directly to his brother Hibernians to help the children in his area.
Writing to his brethren by email, Dugan described Northern Iraq vividly, where daily temperatures reach over 100 degrees and the chaos of war has taken a heavy toll on civilians, especially children.
Dugan has asked his friends and colleagues to donate small simple gifts to the children he has met, noting that “the personal touch by the soldiers is what will have a long-lasting effect on the perception of Americans here.”
“The world over here is a cross between ‘Mad Max,’ ‘M*A*S*H’ and the Peace Corps,” Dugan said. “What you are viewing on TV is not the whole picture. There are thousands of soldiers who are having positive daily contact with Iraqi citizens and making a difference in their lives. Little things make such a difference.”
Soccer balls, socks, small toys and “pencils for young students,” said Dugan, will be warmly received. “Handballs, matchbox type cars, rag dolls, jump-ropes — they bring such a huge smile on the face of the children.”
Dugan says his civilian experience in Philadelphia City hall has been useful in his role in Mosul, where he is coaching local leaders in democratic principles.
“I lecture, mentor, advise, guide, prod and build relationships with local Iraqi politicians and leaders and help them understand the power of voting and the privilege of representing people,” he said.
He said he spends most of his time “mostly relegated to government halls,” but he is in close contact with fellow U.S. troops who are rebuilding schools, outfitting orphanages, bringing medical supplies to clinics and books to schools.
“I was meeting with a Mosul City Council rep and some doctors today trying to come up with a list of supplies that are needed in the health clinics throughout the city and the docs informed me that vitamins are virtually nonexistent over here,” Dugan said.
Dugan may be using his political skills in Iraq, but he also remembered to pack his sense of humor when heading to the Middle East. When March 17 dawned in Dohuk, its citizens were treated to the sight of Dugan and his comrades staging the first “Dohuk St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” with Dugan as grand marshal.
Fellow Hibernians are rising to Dugan’s request. In Philadelphia and New Jersey, benefits are being planned to help find supplies and toys for the children of Mosul and Dohuk.
Jim Donovan of AOH Div. 1 Hudson County is organizing a benefit on July 31 from 1-5 p.m. at St James Gate, 167 Maplewood Ave., Maplewood, N.J. He hopes to collect about five boxes of supplies for Sgt. Dugan.
Dugan specified in his email: “Please make sure that the boxes mailed are sturdy and not too big. A little bit bigger than the size of a box for copy paper is probably the largest it should be, considering the journey it will make.”
Said Donovan, “Hibernians definitely come together for things like this. Regardless of your political beliefs, we have to step up to the plate on this.”
Anyone interested in sending gifts to Iraq for distribution by Sgt. Dugan, can mail them in small, sturdy cardboard boxes to Sgt. Patrick Dugan, 416th Civil Affairs BN, APO AE 09334.