Feeks, Patrick Delaney
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Verified Petty Officer First Class Patrick Delaney Feeks, a 28-year-old U.S. Navy SEAL from Edgewater, Maryland, was killed in a helicopter crash in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on August 16, 2012.
Their Story
Petty Officer First Class Patrick Delaney Feeks was a decorated Special Warfare Operator assigned to SEAL Team Three, based in Coronado, California. A 2002 graduate of South River High School in Edgewater, Maryland, he enlisted in the Navy in 2004 and completed the rigorous Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training. His service included multiple deployments to the Philippines, the Horn of Africa, and Afghanistan.
On August 16, 2012, Feeks and six other U.S. service members were killed when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province. The helicopter was reportedly on a night mission when it went down. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) stated there was no enemy activity in the area at the time, and the cause was initially attributed to a possible mechanical failure.
Feeks was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2012, the U.S. had begun a significant drawdown of surge forces, shifting to an advisory and counter-terrorism role. Southern Afghanistan, including Kandahar province, remained a volatile region where insurgent forces contested control.
Following the crash, Feeks's body was repatriated to the United States. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star with combat 'V' for valor and the Purple Heart. His funeral was held at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland.
Feeks is remembered by former teammates and instructors as a dedicated and highly capable SEAL. His name is inscribed on the National Navy SEAL Museum's memorial wall in Fort Pierce, Florida, and on a memorial at his alma mater, South River High School.
Explore Further
Patrick Feeks 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.
