According to Matthew Atkins, he wasn’t quite a model student when growing up in Riverhead, admitting, “I was a ruthless teenager.” However, he graduated high school in 1999 and stayed local while deciding what he wanted to do in life.

His first inclination was to join the U.S. Air Force, but because he wore glasses, the job he really wanted — fixing planes mid-flight — was not going to pan out. Instead, he opted for the Army.

In May 2001, Atkins entered basic training at Fort Knox in Kentucky. From there, he was sent to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland for heating, ventilation and air conditioning school. He graduated in November that year and enjoyed two weeks’ leave before being sent to a duty station in Heidelberg, Germany.

While in Germany, Atkins served with a United States/European Command Unit in the motor pool that included civilians. There, he gained additional skills while cross-training with the mechanics.

“I learned a lot during that time, and I became a generator mechanic,” he said. “It all prepared me for what I have been doing for the last 15 years.”

His time in Germany was cut short when, in March 2003, he received orders to go to Iraq and serve in a command unit.

“I knew that I would be sent to Iraq,” he said. “I just didn’t know I would be taken from my unit.”

While awaiting orders to head to Iraq, Atkins spent a month in Kuwait.

“We were told we couldn’t make phone calls, even though we were allowed,” he said of that time. “My mom was worried and called the Red Cross, [who] got a hold of me.”

Two weeks later, and after two chemical attacks, Atkins received orders to head into Iraq. He made the 28-hour drive into Baghdad without wearing his full Kevlar gear; just before leaving for Iraq, he had hit his head and needed stiches and bandages, which prevented his helmet from fitting properly.

“I wasn’t even in Iraq yet and was already injured,” he said, “but I drove with one eye open and one closed.”

In Baghdad, Atkins found himself stationed at one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces that the U.S. Marines had previously cleared out. What started as a small camp when he arrived turned into a full enterprise by the time he left.

During his first days in Baghdad, Atkins recalled, air support hadn’t come for about a week, leaving them with no water.

“Being in the motor pool, we were able to go out for supplies,” he said. “By luck, we came across a water cooler and reconned it.”

Soon enough, trailers with food and cooks arrived and they were fed pretty well. While many in the field around him had miserable quarters, Atkins recalled that he was lucky to have an apartment that had a stove and running water.

He remained in Iraq for six months making numerous runs for supplies and parts before coming to the end of his tour. He arrived back on European soil in November 2003 for debriefing and was back home in the U.S. on March 11, 2004.

Atkins holds several accommodations from his service, including three Army Achievement Medals, a National Service Defense Medal, an Army Service Ribbon and an Overseas Service Ribbon. He was also selected in 2002 to serve on funeral detail in Belgium for World War II soldiers, an experience he said he will never forget.

Back home, Atkins landed a job at Mendenhall Fuel continuing the same work he had been doing in the Army. “I am grateful for the experience,” he said of his service. “It taught me a trade that I really do love.”

In gratitude of his service and sacrifice, the Library paid tribute to Matthew at a ceremony on October 26 as part of its Hometown Heroes initiative.

The Library’s Hometown Heroes initiative aims to honor local veterans from the Arthur Ellis Hamm American Legion Post 834 on a monthly basis, with a culminating ceremony scheduled for January 2020.

During the ceremony, held at the Westhampton Beach Fire Department and attended by fellow Legionnaires, library representatives, family members and public officials, Atkins was presented with proclamations and an American flag.

Atkins and his wife, Becky, reside in East Quogue with their adopted daughter, Alora, whom they fostered along with a number of other children over the years. He is also a volunteer firefighter with the East Quogue Fire Department.