Бывший школьник из Париса, ныне заместитель шерифа, делится историей службы в гвардии и важностью памяти о жертвах 11 сентября

CHARLESTON — Tyler Heleine was still a senior at Paris High School when he enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in August 2001, just a few weeks before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Heleine, who is now chief deputy with the Coles County Sheriff's Office, said as a high school student he did not completely understand the magnitude of what he and his classmates were watching on the news on Sept. 11, 2001, and the following days. "What I remember most was the confusion and how quiet everyone seemed to be," Heleine said. "There was a feeling that something had changed, even though we didn’t yet know exactly what that change would mean." Enlisting in the Guard While still preparing for his senior year and for graduation, Heleine said he enlisted in the Guard and its Paris-based 1544th Transportation Company as a way to get college money and life experience. People are also reading… Heleine said 9/11 was not the reason he joined the military, like it was for many other young people during that time, but the attacks "absolutely changed" the way he looked at serving. "The commitment I had made suddenly carried a different meaning. There was a new sense of purpose and a stronger desire to serve my country. The possibility of being called upon was no longer something that seemed distant or theoretical," Heleine said. Deploying to Iraq After graduating, Heleine completed his basic and advanced individual training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. He subsequently deployed with the 1544th in 2004 to Iraq, where his company was based at Log Base Seitz near Baghdad International Airport. Heleine said the experience of that deployment shaped him in ways he could never have understood as a high school student watching the events of 9/11 and its aftermath. "Iraq taught me about service and leadership, but it also taught me about grief and loss. It taught me what true friendship looks like and how important camaraderie is," Heleine said. Many of the soldiers in the 1544th at the time were recent high school graduates and college students from Paris and other area communities, many of whom knew each other before enlisting. The 1544th's soldiers spent much of the deployment escorting civilian truck drivers from the United States who were transporting mail and supplies to service members in Iraq. They faced constant threats from improvised explosive devices and other attacks. Forging bonds "When you serve alongside people in that environment, you depend on one another in ways that are difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it," Heleine said. Heleine added that, "The relationships I have with the men and women I deployed with are something I cherish to this day. More than 20 years later, many of us still stay in contact. There is a bond there that time and distance haven’t taken away." Heleine said those bonds have been strengthened by Veterans of Log Base Seitz, an organization that provides support and resources to veterans and their families though educational programs, outreach events and annual retreats. Reflecting on 9/11 When he thinks about 9/11 today, Heleine said he views it through several different perspectives. "I see it as a veteran who served in a war that followed those attacks. I see it through the eyes of someone who has spent a career in law enforcement. And I see it simply as an American, a husband, a father and a member of a community," Heleine said. All these different perspectives are why Heleine believes that remembering 9/11 is so important. "We remember the innocent civilians who went to work, boarded airplanes or started what they believed would be an ordinary day and then never came home. We remember the firefighters, police officers, paramedics and other first responders who ran toward danger while everyone else was trying to escape it." Heleine added that, "We also remember the service members who answered their country’s call in the years that followed, including those who never returned home and those who came home carrying wounds and experiences that remained with them for the rest of their lives." Remembering the fallen Veterans of Log Base Seitz report that the 1544th is bonded over the loss of five soldiers and the wounds endured by 28 Purple Heart recipients during a year-long tour on what is considered to be one of the most heavily mortared bases in Iraq. The 1544th lost Staff Sgt. Ivory L. Phipps of Chicago, Spc. Jeremy L. Ridlen of Maroa, Sgt. Shawna Morrison of Paris, Spc. Charles Lamb of Casey and Sgt. Jessica L. Cawvey of Mahomet. Heleine said the responsibility to remember is also something he and his wife try to pass on to their 5-year-old son. He said they want him to grow up understanding the importance of honoring those who serve their country, whether they wear a military uniform or serve as a first responder. "We try to take him to memorials, ceremonies and community events that recognize those who are serving and, just as importantly, those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. He is still young and may not fully understand it yet, but we want respect for service and sacrifice to be something he grows up with," Heleine said. Participating in the Illinois Run for the Fallen in Charleston has become an annual tradition for Heleine. He runs five laps in memory of his lost comrades from the 1544th while wearing a T-shirt bearing their names. His son, Jagger, joined him this year for part of the Run. "For me, 'never forget' has become much more than a phrase. It means remembering the people who were lost, honoring the people who stepped forward, recognizing the sacrifices that continued long after Sept. 11, 2001, and making sure the next generation understands why those sacrifices matter." Heleine added that, "I enlisted before 9/11, but there is no question that Sept. 11 helped define the soldier I became and ultimately had an impact on the course of my military career and the course of my life."