When a U.S. helicopter crashed in Afghanistan on Saturday morning, killing 30 American soldiers, was the largest single loss of American lives in Afghanistan since the conflict began a decade ago. Two days later, some key details of the tragedy is emerging.
The Chinook helicopter was on a mission to help the U.S. Army Rangers they were under fire from Afghan insurgents in a mountainous area in the eastern part of the country. Profiles of a few men killed, it is clear that for them, sacrificing to help others was a natural.
Robert James Reeves, and Jonas Kelsall been friends since their school during the school year in Shreveport, Louisiana - classmates have described them as inseparable. As 20 soldiers were killed in an accident, both men served in the same unit of elite Navy SEAL Team 6, who was killed by Osama bin Laden in May.
Reeves, 32, was a star football and lacrosse player, his father, James Reeves, told the New York Times. "I never was clear he would choose a military career," said James Reeves. "It's very difficult to do in the SEAL teams. But he knew he had to be."
Reeves was a young stranger danger. He had been deployed to war zones, a dozen times since 9 / 11 attacks, and had earned four Bronze Stars, each of which is "part V" for value.
A Christmas reunion with his family in Shreveport - the last time I saw them - Reeves talked about the nature of their work, in line with discretion Navy SEAL Code.
Also killed in the accident was the Aaron Vaughn, 30, a Navy SEAL from Tennessee, whose wife, Kimberly, told CNN that her husband "does not want to leave this country in any way different from how he did it" - that is, sacrificing his country.
"He loved his job," said Kimberly Vaughn, a former Washington Redskins cheerleader, "There was no way I could tell -. Even if this had happened, he would have done anyway all these men are like that has lost interest
She said the couple had spoken by telephone just hours before his last mission. "We had to say that love, so it was a great conversation we have."
Meanwhile, Patrick Burger, a sergeant of 30 years, Nebraska intends to propose to his girlfriend at his home in what was his first mission, his brother Chris told the AP. Patrick, who had been in Afghanistan only two weeks, helped raise a daughter from a previous relationship, and the couple's own daughter 2 years old.
John Brown, a sergeant in the Air Force Technical Arkansas, was described by his mother as a "gentle giant"
who "just liked anything physical for sports." When she wanted to have a heart to heart with her son, she said, went outside and shoot hoops with him.
And Michael odd, 25, of Philadelphia, he loved scuba diving, snowboarding and surfing. He then joined the Navy SEALs, said her mother worried that he would be fine.
"I was not going to die so young. He was supposed to be safe," said Elizabeth strange. "And he said that and I believed him. I would not have believed, because I know better. He said, 'Mom, do not be silly and not worry so much. I'm sure." "
0 comments:
Post a Comment