Most people who sign up to do hospital volunteer work request gigs far from the gritty side. They lead tours, provide directions at the front desk and ring up purchases in the gift shop.

Two years ago, though, the volunteer services department at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center received an unusual application.

Connor Dyer, who served in the Marines, asked if he could volunteer in the emergency room of the Southwest Portland hospital. He filled out the necessary paperwork passed a background check and came in for an interview. All went well. After receiving training, Dyer started cleaning rooms in the ER.

Within months, Dyer, 27, put in for a transfer.

He asked to be assigned to the hospital's Behavioral Unit, a locked-down ward where psychiatrists and nurses work intensely with 33 patients being treated for severe depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorders and schizophrenia.

The unit is as far away from the gift shop as you can get.

But it was there that Dyer discovered what he wanted to do with his life.

"We've never had anyone who wanted to volunteer here," said Inga Giske, a unit nurse manager. "Never. It makes sense. The unit isn't for everyone."

Dyer saw reminders of the men he'd served with during his two tours in Afghanistan.

"I understand what the patients are going through," he said. "A veteran will be in the unit, see me and asks if I'm a Marine. I guess it's the way I carry myself. When that happens, I know I bring some comfort to someone who needs it."

Unit supervisors were so impressed with Dyer that within months of arriving, he was offered a job. He accepted. He helps nurses with patient intake and safety and provides daily hygiene for patients in the unit.

Connor Dyer and fellow Marines overseas.

"He has a valuable skill set," Giske said. "Because he's a Marine who served overseas, Connor is used to unpredictable situations, which is what we deal with daily in this unit."

The unit is a world within the hospital world, a place that offers far more questions than answers because the cause, and treatment, of mental illness can prove elusive.

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Dyer was born in Portland but moved with the family when his father received a job promotion that took him to Atlanta. After graduating from high school, Dyer joined the Marines. His father had served in the Marines. His two grandfathers and uncles had served in the Marines, Navy and Army.

"Serving in the military is a theme in my family," he said.

While in Afghanistan, Dyer trained Afghan soldiers to intercept drugs and illicit cash at their borders. He was also part of a security team protecting a four-star general who commanded an international security force.

Some of the Marines who worked with Dyer were limited to administrative roles because of injuries or illness, he said.

"Some of those illnesses were psychiatric in nature," Dyer said. "Those health issues are misunderstood by so many people. That's what got me interested in mental health."

Studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs show that as many as 20 percent of the veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom experienced post-traumatic stress disorder and 12 percent for those who served in the Gulf War. The agency estimates that 30 percent of Vietnam veterans have experienced PTSD.

Dyer returned to Portland and enrolled in Portland Community College. Drawn to the idea of working in the health field, he decided to get some real-life experience by volunteering at the hospital.

He said he felt isolated after leaving the Marines and he was looking to be part of a community dedicated to more than serving only self.

He found his niche.

While working in the unit, Dyer enrolled in Portland State University and now is in his senior year majoring in biology. Dyer also studied to become an emergency medical technician and a certified nurse's assistant.

When he graduates next year, he plans to apply to medical school.

His long-range goal is to be a psychiatrist and work at Portland's Veterans Affairs Medical Center where he believes he can best help those who served their country.

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On Veterans Day, life will slow down in an attempt to get people to remember the men and women who answered the call.

The truth is that most people will look at it as a one-day vacation. Dyer considers the day more than parades, flags and speeches. The day is a reminder that service is an ongoing obligation.

"Service. I don't know anything else," he said. "I want to be a mentor and a friend to people struggling with mental health issues."

Oregon has an estimated 317,000 veterans.

Dyer has one request for all of us this Sunday.

"I encourage all my brothers and sisters to remember that although it may not always be apparent, there are many other veterans throughout the community," he said. "We are all here for each other regardless of age group, branch or capacity of service.

"If you happen to see another veteran in the community, please don't be afraid to reach out and start the conversation or share a few stories," he said. "You never know how you may help."

--Tom Hallman Jr.

thallman@oregonian.com; 503 221-8224

@thallmanjr