Patrick Amie US Army E-4 Specialist

Patrick Amie was born at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, in Oakland California. The biological son of an Army Veteran, his birth father abandoned him and his mother within days of his birth. Raised by a US Air Force combat Veteran, who has been his dad for 35+ years now, Patrick quickly learned a deep love for this country and the true meaning of sacrifice for loved ones.

Patrick grew up an adrenaline junkie, always living for the rush! Contact sports, BMX bikes, jumping from train bridges into the river below- all of the things boys did in the 80s and 90s. At the age of 14, while collecting payments for his newspaper route, Patrick was given his first motorcycle as a form of payment. It was a 1974 Honda CB550 in horrible shape, and it was the most beautiful motorcycle he’d ever seen. After countless hours of hard work, when Patrick was 16 he passed his motorcycle safety course on the bike he built himself (with plenty of help from dad and friends). Motorcycles have been a part of him ever since.

After graduation from High School in 1999, Pat took a job as repossession agent in the San Francisco Bay Area, repoing cars from very “dynamic” situations and environments. Growing tired of being shot at at work, and wanting to follow his girlfriend out of California, Pat decided to join the US Army Infantry in June of 2001- what could go wrong?

Pat was then assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, CO. Deploying to Iraq in early April of 2004, Patrick once again found himself being shot at at work, and experiencing adrenaline rushes frequently. During the initial invasion of Iraq, the insurgency grew into gorilla warfare and IEDs became commonplace. After being exposed to many [thankfully] incorrectly timed IEDs and the horrors of the battlefield, Patrick was told he was not allowed to reenlist in the Army, and he would also not be recommended for a medical separation. This left him wondering what to do with himself, as the Infantry had become a sense of identity for him.

After his separation from the Army, Pat set out to use his GI Bill and complete his higher education. It was at this time that he became aware of cognitive struggles, and was soon diagnosed with a TBI, as well as PTSD and hearing loss. Pat then became involved with the Veteran Student program at Colorado State University, and began finding ways to be interactive in the Veteran community.

Following graduation from Colorado State, Pat and his wife Jessica (the girl he followed from CA in 2001) moved to SW Colorado to purchase and restore a remote mountain lodge. Helping and hosting Veterans has always been a priority at their lodge. Through the years they have been fortunate enough to facilitate a number of events at their lodge that cater to returning Veterans with service connected disabilities. ​

This process has reinforced the lifelong values Pat’s dad taught him as a child; respect for others, reverence for this amazing Country, and selfless service to others. Through giving of himself, Patrick has found himself. His true passion for life and for others is blossoming each and every day. Motorcycles, adrenaline, and a purpose driven life are about all he needs now. He is committed to furthering his business as well as his outreach and efforts to help others.