Goldsboro to recognize the Purple Hearts of Seymour Johnson

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Brittain Crolley
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Three active-duty Airmen from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, among others, will be honored at the Annual Purple Heart Banquet, Aug. 7, 2014, at the First Pentecostal Holiness Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

The event will also honor 52 other service members from Eastern North Carolina who've received the medal, representing every major conflict since World War II.

The Purple Heart Medal is awarded to those who are wounded or killed while serving in support of contingency operations. It is the oldest military award still given to U.S. military members and is sixth in order of precedence.

Col. Christopher Freeman, 414th Fighter Group commander, Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Seekell, 4th Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog trainer, and Staff Sgt. Justin Beasley, 4th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal technician, will be honored for their service and sacrifice.

Despite their injuries, they continue to serve their country.

Below is a brief description of the circumstances that led to their medals:

Col. Christopher Freeman
Freeman received his medal for after suffering injuries to his lower body during the attack on the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, June 25, 1996. He was preparing for a flying check ride that was scheduled for the next day when a truck bomb near his location went off.

"I heard what sounded like a freight train coming toward our building and actually saw the glass sliding doors to my left start to bubble in toward me, much like a balloon being inflated," Freeman described. "I assume the blast knocked me out because when I opened my eyes, I was laying against the far wall covered in glass."


Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Seekell
Seekell received his medal for injuries suffered during a patrol, May 8, 2011, in Afghanistan. He and his military working dog, Charlie, were searching for explosives in the hills of Afghanistan when they came across exactly what they were looking for.

"I remember it pretty vividly; I kept my conscious the whole time," Seekell said. "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."

The explosion cost Seekell his left leg and also wounded Charlie in his hind quarters.


Staff Sgt. Justin Beasley
Beasley received his medal for injuries suffered during a convoy, June 23, 2013, in Afghanistan. Beasley and his team were riding down a road, crater-ridden from explosions, when they came to a bridge that was their only means of progressing. Despite the driver's best attempts to navigate the choke point, the vehicle triggered an improvised explosive device.

"At first, I thought we were hit by a rocket-propelled grenade," Beasley said. "The doctor's told me I suffered a traumatic brain injury, but my adrenaline was so pumped up from the explosion, I didn't even know anything was wrong."


Events such as this remind the Purple Heart recipients of the honor associated with wearing one of the highest military decorations.

"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."