![]() ![]() Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minn., Naval Special Warfare unit Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. ![]() There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for you no matter the time or day." Diane Warzoha, who had Bill as a student at Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford, said it was no surprise that he fulfilled his goal of joining the SEALs. "He was remarkably gifted and very thoughtful. He was that kind of person," Kimberly Hess, a friend who graduated with him in 2001 from Vermont's Norwich University, told The Advocate newspaper. For those who knew him, such lofty goals were not out of reach. He wanted to return to graduate school and hoped one day to become an astronaut. ![]() Bill, 31, of Stamford, Conn., Naval Special Warfare unit īill had plans for when he finished his military service. Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Robert Vickers said she is making plans to return to Hawaii because she only has a small window of time before doctors won't allow her to fly. He lived in Virginia Beach, Va., with his wife Nani, who is seven months' pregnant with their third child. After stints in tree trimming and working as a hotel security guard, he became a certified scuba diver and decided to join the Navy in 1996. "He decided college wasn't for him," and returned home, his father, Robert Vickers, said. Vickers, who would have turned 37 on Thursday, graduated from high school in 1992 and attended Evangel College in Missouri on a football scholarship. "He played middle linebacker, so he was really smart, the quarterback of the defense and when he put on his helmet, no one could match his intensity and aggressiveness," coach Curtis Lee told the Maui News. But off the field? "You couldn't find a nicer guy," his former coach remembers. When he was a Maui High School football player, no one could match Vickers' intensity on the field. Vickers, 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii, Naval Special Warfare unit Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. He also leaves behind a sister and mother."As a Navy SEAL team member, my uncle was trained to keep a low profile and to do his job," Adams said. ![]() But he "would want the focus to remain on the cause for which he made the sacrifice, not the sacrifice itself."He had two sons and a wife expecting their third child - a girl - in November. Ratzlaff wanted to be a Navy SEAL ever since he was a young boy."He did what he loved and died defending those he loved and those who loved him," his nephew, Jeff Adams, said as he read a statement from the family.When Ratzlaff visited his hometown in northwest Arkansas, his late father would bring him by the log cabin restaurant where he ordered an egg, sausage and wheat toast every morning."The whole town was proud of him," said Loree Blackburn, who runs that restaurant.Now, the community of 2,700 remembers Ratzlaff with flags flying at half-staff.Ratzlaff would have been grateful for the outpouring of support for his family, his nephew said. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Ark., Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician, Naval Special Warfare unit Special Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Langlais won numerous medals and commendations for his service and was remembered by countless friends in an outpouring of support on Facebook. He was on the Navy parachute team until February 2000 and later joined several East Coast-based SEAL teams. In 1989, he reported to SEAL training in Coronado, Calif., and reported to a West Coast-based SEAL team until 1997. Langlais enlisted in the Navy in June 1986. Winds tore off the costume and Langlais landed outside while someone else took his place inside, the paper reported. He was thrust into the national spotlight in April 1997 when he attempted to parachute into Pro Player Stadium dressed as the mascot of the Florida Marlins, the Virginian-Pilot reported. Langlais was originally from Santa Barbara, Calif., but lived in Virginia with his wife and two sons. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, Calif., Naval Special Warfare unit Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Reeves and Kelsall had been childhood friends in Shreveport, La., where they played soccer together and graduated from Caddo Magnet High School, Kelsall's father, John, told Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, La., Naval Special Warfare unit Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. ![]()
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