Lance Corporal Ram Patten is a Royal Marines Commando currently
based in Plymouth. He joined the Royal Marines in 1999, and his
most recent deployment was Operation Herrick 7 in Afghanistan. Ram
recalls:
"Following my deployment I found myself struggling to re-adjust
to everyday life in the UK. I was later diagnosed with severe Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It took nine months of therapy at
the Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) clinic with
two to three sessions a week. However my story is incomparable to
the difficulties that many Service men and women have endured. My
experience may be just a drop in the ocean, but every drop can make
a significant ripple. My aim is to turn that ripple into a wave of
public awareness and charitable donations, which help look after
those affected by war. The United Kingdom is coming to terms with
the fact that more and more families either know someone, or are
related to someone, who has been affected by war in some way,
shape, or form."
In November 2009 Ram decided he wanted to do something to raise
awareness, and formulated a plan to speed march a sponsored mile to
mark each loss the British Armed Forces have sustained since
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan began in 2001.
"I wanted to emphasise that every Service man and woman who
serves in Her Majesty's Forces are valued and will always be
remembered, as well as raising £1 million for The Royal British
Legion whose mission is to safeguard the welfare, interests and
memory of those who are serving or have served in the Armed
Forces."