Navy SEAL Patrick D. Feeks, 28, of Edgewater, Md. Was assigned to SEAL Team 3 out of Coronado, CA. He died Aug. 16, 2012, when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a firefight with insurgents in a remote area of southern Afghanistan. He was among seven Americans and four Afghans killed in the crash.

CO1 Feeks wanted to be a Navy SEAL from a very young age. He graduated from Riverside High School in Edgewater and enlisted in the Navy in 2006. He completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training and advanced training in 2008 and was assigned to Seal Team 3. CO1 Feeks had done several previous tours of duty in Iraq but this was his first tour in Afghanistan. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V and Purple Heart.

Family, friends and his SEAL team said CO1 Feeks embodied a deep thread of patriotism, commitment, family and a sense of purpose to make a positive difference in life. “(He) really achieved so much and was so well-respected in the SEAL community,” father Tom Feeks said. “I’ll say this: He was a rising star, one of their best.”

CO1 Feeks is survived by his wife, Emily.