Walking the Point

posted by Writer on Mar 10

One year ago today, Staff Sergeant Andrew C. Seif and 10 other Marines and soldiers, were killed in a helicopter crash off the Florida coast. This is a short tribute to honor the life of a true American Hero.

A few days before his death, Staff Sergeant Andrew Seif, USMC,  was awarded the Silver Star at a ceremony in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for his actions in a July 2012 mission in Afghanistan.

“Seif’s close friend, Sgt. Justin Hansen, was killed in that raid targeting a high-profile Taliban bomb-maker. “There are definitely some individuals out there who deserve [the medal] just as well,” Seif said last Friday. “But it’s an honor to accept it on the behalf of the unit and on behalf of the rest of the men.“

“The bomb-maker they were after was responsible for the deaths of a number of coalition troops and an expert at manufacturing roadside bombs. Seif and Hansen found themselves outside his compound cutting off a back escape route when they came under fire. Hansen was wounded badly and Seif rushed to his aide.”

“Even though Justin was hit, he was very much still in the game,” Seif said. “He motioned to where the [shooter] was, so I assaulted through.” Seif was credited with rushing forward without backup and clearing the compound by himself, a daunting task for any operator. He then returned to Hansen to treat his wounds. Hansen later died.”

“Maj. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman, head of the Marine Special Operations Command, presented the medal to Seif. “The fact that [Seif] continued to fight through the objective to get Sgt. Hansen taken care of, putting himself in the line of fire, speaks volumes to who he is and demonstrates that he would never leave a Marine behind,” Osterman said. Seif leaves behind his wife, Dawn, pictured alongside him here at the 2013 USO Gala in Washington D.C.” (1)

Dawn gave birth to their son, James Andrew Seif, last August.

(1) Florida Military Helicopter Crash: Decorated Marine Among Those Killed in Training Accident, by Justin Fishel and Luis Martinez, ABC News, March 13, 2015, abcnews.go.com