Soldier Honored: Jeffrey A. Lucas

Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, of Corbett, Ore., was assigned to SEAL Team 10, based out of Virginia Beach, Virginia and served during Operation Enduring Freedom. On June 28, 2005, PO1 Lucas was killed when an MH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan.

PO1 Lucas graduated from Corbett High School in 1989, where he was a local “legend” for his athletic prowess in football, basketball, baseball and track. Eight weeks after graduation, Lucas enlisted in the Navy. He completed basic training at NTC Orlando and graduated with class 191 from Basic Underwater Demolition/ SEAL in January 1994. From 1994 to 1999 Lucas served with SEAL Team One in San Diego. In 1999, he moved to the east coast where he served with SEAL Team Eight before joining SEAL Team Ten in March 2002.  In 2004, PO1 Lucas was named Navy SEAL of the Year. PO1 Lucas was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

As a boy, Lucas used to sneak up on people dressed in camouflage he made from brush. He used to practice target shooting at long distances. "He could surprise anyone," says Jamie Lucas, Jeffrey's younger brother. "He was always so fast, so smart and so sure of himself. There was no way he wasn't going to reach his dream."

PO1 Lucas’ wife and son are Folds of Honor Scholarship recipients.