Hearts of purple and gold

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Aubrey White
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
GOLDSBORO, N.C. --  Several Airmen from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., were recognized during a ceremony honoring Purple Heart recipients at the First Church in Goldsboro, N.C., Aug. 6, 2013.

The Purple Heart is awarded for wounds or death as result of an act of any opposing armed force, an international terrorist attack or military operations while serving as part of a peacekeeping force, according to the Air Force Personnel Center, Randolph Air Force Base, Ohio.

Among those acknowledged were Lt. Col. Christopher Freeman, 414th Fighter Group deputy commander, Master Sgt. Harry Bounds, 4th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) flight chief, and Staff Sgt. Benjamin Seekell, 4th Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog handler.

These are their stories:

Lt. Col. Christopher Freeman

"I was injured during the attack on Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, June 25, 1996. Unfortunately, the events of that night are neither inspiring nor courageous," Freeman said. "I was studying for a flying check ride planned for the next day when the truck bomb detonated. As I recall, it happened very slowly. The overhead lights in the main room went dim, much like a brown out situation, which was common in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. I heard what sounded like a freight train coming towards our building and actually saw the glass sliding doors to my left start to bubble in towards me, much like a balloon being inflated. I assume the blast knocked me out because when I opened my eyes, I was laying against the far wall covered in glass. The rest of the night was chaotic trying to account for the squadron personnel and attempting to administer first aid to those who were injured. I did learn that applying pressure to a leg wound is more painful when there's glass still inside."




Master Sgt. Harry Bounds

"July 31, 2010, my team was tasked to respond to a reported improvised explosive device (IED) in the northern part of Kandahar, Afghanistan," Bounds said. "With a Quick Reaction Force made up of the Canadian Army and the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Company, we responded to the scene. While attempting to disarm a secondary IED that was also found at the site, it detonated, sending me flying. I was thrown approximately 20 feet, back up against a wall, knocked unconscious and sustained multiple lacerations to my left hand. Thankfully, I was wearing an EOD 9 bomb suit and using a remote tool set, so I was fairly protected from the worst of the blast. [After we evacuated], my hand was patched up and I was put to bed. Two weeks later, I pestered the doctors enough to return me to full duty and finished out the tour."

"Upon returning to the United States, it was determined that damage was done to my neck, which required fusion surgery, and to both of my ears, requiring me to wear hearing aids. [The explosion also caused me to sustain] a traumatic brain injury, which has various effects on me and was later diagnosed as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."



Staff Sgt. Benjamin Seekell

"I was in Afghanistan in 2011. I was in my element over there, doing what I love to do, working with dogs," Seekell said. "My dog Charlie and I; we'd go out every day on nature hikes through the hills of Afghanistan and look for explosives. The problem is, when you spend your time looking for things that can blow you up, more often than not, you're eventually going to find what you're looking for. Of all days, Mother's Day 2011, I found exactly that.

Staff Sgt. Logan of the Tennessee National Guard and I were struck by separate explosive devices and severely wounded on the battlefield. I remember it pretty vividly; I kept my conscious the whole time. The first thoughts that flashed through my mind were kind of odd ... 'Where's the dog? Where's my rifle?' I didn't know; I wanted to know."

"My guys came up to me and started telling me; well they were probably yelling at me because, I couldn't hear very well, they said 'Hey we've got the dog, we've got your stuff; you have bigger problems Sergeant Seekell.' I started to realize that I was pretty severely injured and had to get myself taken care of."

Seekell, the ceremony's keynote speaker, lost his left leg during the deployment and his dog, Charlie, was wounded by shrapnel to his hind quarters.

During his address, Seekell reflected on his childhood and what he once thought war meant before experiencing it firsthand.

"My generation grew up glorifying war movies and video games," Seekell said. "Looking back, it was kind of amazing the cavalier attitude we had toward the concepts of war, but as in the case of most young men, I really didn't have the concept of it until I actually joined the military and experienced it for myself."

Like Seekell, many of the medal recipients who were acknowledged have taken the time to reflect on what receiving a Purple Heart means to them and what their peers perceive it to mean.

"I have thought a lot about wearing the Purple Heart," Freeman said. "During these annual events, I am reminded again of the sacrifices many have made to ensure our freedoms. At the same time, it rekindles my own struggle to justify why I deserve to be included in such a group. Members of my family served in both the Pacific Theater and the beaches of Normandy. The sacrifices they endured and battle injuries they sustained are what I think about when I see the Purple Heart."

Although coming to terms with receiving the Purple Heart can be a struggle for many, being surrounded by other recipients and hearing their stories has encouraged Bounds to find more meaning within his life.

"[The ceremony] was extremely humbling," Bounds said. "Seeing those who served before and listening to their stories makes you really appreciate the life you have. You realize, at that specific moment in your life, you were both extremely lucky and unlucky. It made me think about the friends I have that either returned in a lot worse condition than me or did not return at all. Each day is a gift and a new challenge. I will never be the same man I was before. My mission now is to find the 'new normal' and go from there."