Among Heroes: A U.S. Navy SEAL's True Story of Friendship, Heroism, and the Ultimate Sacrifice (23 page)

One of my most treasured photos: our Naval Special Warfare Sniper School’s graduating class, June 12, 2000. That’s Mike Bearden standing tall in the back row, second from left. My best friend, Glen Doherty, stands smack in the middle (of course). I’m squatting right in front of him, with the dark glasses.

Courtesy of Brandon Webb

For the last quarter of 1999, Mike Bearden was named “Junior Sailor of the Quarter,” a top-honors award given to the “best of the best” of all sailors on their given ship, for “superior performance, outstanding achievements, exemplary personal conduct and military bearing, and demonstrated initiative in performance.” (The “junior” refers to the award given to ranks E4 and below.)

Courtesy of Michael D. Bearden

Here’s Mike after crushing an over-the-beach exercise, giving his teammate some encouraging words as usual. The other guy looks pretty beat-up by the training; Mike
never
looked beat-up, no matter how tough the exercise.

Courtesy of Michael D. Bearden

At age eight Mike was still small for his age—but always ready to get in the game.

Courtesy of Michael D. Bearden

Mike and Derenda’s son, Holden, was just ten months old at the time of Mike’s accident. Today he is a strapping big guy with an outsize personality just like his dad’s.

Courtesy of Michael D. Bearden

Dave Scott first joined SEAL Team Four as an enlisted man in the early nineties, years before he joined our platoon at SEAL Team Three as an officer.

Courtesy of Kathleen Colvert

For Dave, leaping out the door of a C-130 at ten thousand feet was like stepping out for a stroll.

Courtesy of Kathleen Colvert

Dave, the impeccable perfectionist, on a workup with his Team Three platoon in 2002, shortly before his last deployment.

Courtesy of Kathleen Colvert

Dave was as ready for action at age twelve, in his wetsuit, as he would be as an adult. I think he was
born
ready for action.

Courtesy of Kathleen Colvert

Dave and Kat beaming with happiness on their first wedding anniversary, in June 2002, four months before Dave’s fatal accident in the Pacific.

Courtesy of Kathleen Colvert

Matt Axelson (
on the right, here age three and a half
) and his big brother, Jeff (
age six
), were incredibly close.

Courtesy of Cindy Oji

Matt in the fall of ’85, at the age of ten. His natural blond Afro used to drive him crazy; sometimes he’d sneak the family’s dog clippers and buzz his own hair short.

Courtesy of Cindy Oji