Axelson, Matthew Gene
Male
Verified Petty Officer Second Class Matthew Gene Axelson, 29, of San Diego, California, was a U.S. Navy SEAL killed during a combat mission in Asadabad, Afghanistan, on June 28, 2005.
Their Story
Matthew Gene Axelson was a Petty Officer Second Class (PO2) serving with the U.S. Navy's Special Warfare Command. He was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, part of Naval Special Warfare Group Three, based in Coronado, California. He was 29 years old and a native of San Diego.
On June 28, 2005, Axelson was part of a four-man SEAL reconnaissance team, call sign "Redwing," operating in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. The team's mission was to locate a high-level Taliban commander. According to military reports, the SEALs were discovered and engaged by a large force of anti-coalition militia. During the ensuing firefight, Axelson and two of his teammates were killed. A quick reaction force helicopter sent to extract them was shot down, killing all 16 personnel aboard.
The mission occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2005, the conflict was in a phase characterized by intense counterinsurgency operations in the country's eastern provinces, where Taliban and allied forces had regrouped and were mounting a resilient insurgency.
Axelson's death, along with the other members of his team and the helicopter crew, resulted in the single largest loss of life for Naval Special Warfare forces since the Vietnam War. The incident was widely reported and prompted significant public and military recognition of the sacrifices made by special operations forces.
Axelson was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the U.S. Navy's second-highest decoration for valor, for his actions during the battle. His story, and that of his teammates, was later detailed in the book "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell, the sole surviving SEAL from the reconnaissance team, and adapted into a film.
Explore Further
Matthew Axelson was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001?2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
