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Showing posts from August, 2012

PURPLE HEART HIGHWAY DEDICATION

Extortion 17-Remembering tragic loss of Special Ops warriors one year ago

August 5, 2012 By: Susy Raybon Bottom of Form One year ago, the U.S. military suffered one of the largest one-day losses since the war in Afghanistan began and the biggest loss ever in Special Ops history. Just three months after the U.S. Navy SEALs took down Osama bin Laden, the Taliban got off a “lucky shot” with a rocket-propelled grenade that downed a Chinook CH-47 with U.S. Special Ops warriors on board; many were Navy SEALs, some were Army Special Forces and others were Airmen from a Special Tactics Team in North Carolina. The Operation was named Extortion 17 , a rescue mission to extract another team of Special Forces soldiers. 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 S