All aboard the helicopter died Aug. 6, 2011, in Wardak province, Afghanistan.
The following sailors assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:
Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana, Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, California. Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Arkansas, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. Vickers 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, of Stamford, Connecticut, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport, Massachusetts, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, 37, of Kansas City, Missouri, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist/Diver) Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington, West Virginia, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana, Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit, Michigan, Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, California, Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah, Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) John Douangdara, 26, of South Sioux City, Nebraska, Cryptologist Technician (Collection) Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon T. Tumilson, 35, of Rockford, Iowa, Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, of Stuart, Florida., and Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jason R. Workman, 32, of Blanding, Utah.
The following sailors assigned to a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:
Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman, 27, of Ukiah, California, and Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The Army soldiers killed were:
Chief Warrant Officer David R. Carter, 47, of Centennial, Colorado, He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Aurora, Colorado.; Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, 31, of Hays, Kansas. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas.; Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Nebraska. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Grand Island, Neb.; Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Washington. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.; and Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21, of Olathe, Kansas. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kansas.
The Airmen killed were:
Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Florida.; Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, Califonia.; and Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pennsylvania. All three airmen were assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, North Carolina.
“The hearts and minds of our enemy are more valuable to this Government than my son’s blood,” states Karen Vaughn, mother of U.S. Navy Seal, Aaron Vaugh who was killed with other members of the now famous Seal Team 6 when the chopper they were in was shot down by the Taliban in Afghanistan, in August of 2011.
Karen Vaughn’s statement came as part of her riveting testimony at a press conference held this week at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Karen and her husband were joined at the press conference by other family members of our slain special operations soldiers, retired military Generals, Admirals, former Seals, and Congressmen to speak out as a unified “whistle-blower” group, unified in its message.
They are demanding answers from military leaders and the Obama administration.
They want to know why so many of our special operations forces, credited quite publicly by Vice President Biden for killing Osama Bin Laden, were sent into an active battle zone in one, out-dated Chinook transport helicopter, as opposed to the MH47′s with which they trained.
They want to know why standard military protocol, of escort, or pre-assault fire in a battle zone didn’t happen, and why the U.S. military has permitted the Afghan military and police to be part of every planned military operation executed in this war on terror.
They want to know why President Obama is completely unwilling to identify the enemy we face, and why would our military allow an Islamic Imam to pray over the bodies of our American soldiers, to only later discover through translation, the words of this standard Islamic prayer suggested our soldiers be sent to hell, proclaiming the Muslims as the winners.
These parents are demanding a congressional investigation and are pleading with the American public to demand answers. They want Americans to understand how the Muslim Brotherhood has co-opted this administration, and has played a very direct role in re-writing our military’s policy as it relates to rules of engagement.
Family members of Ambassador Stevens, and the others killed in the attacks in Benghazi, are demanding answers as to who gave the orders to stand down. The families of our Navy Seals are demanding answers too, and they say they are not getting the truth from our government leaders.
This press conference, along with the Benghazi investigation, and the Boston Marathon terror attack investigation are all connected in the sense that the enemy identified is the same. We are at war with radical Islam.
https://www.facebook.com/Extortion17DemandaCongressionalHearing/info
Replies
We know all these things are happening, we know Obama is deliberately setting up our SpecOps teams for targets. We know he is appointing Muslim Brotherhood to our highest gov agencies,,,,,,,, We know of so many acts of high treason being committed by these people,,,,,,,,,,, The only thing we don't know is WHEN
WHEN for GOD's, and for the survival of America, WHEN will the American people finally decide enough is enough. We must put a stop to this "Fundamental Transformation (and destruction) of America".
WHEN ?