Nate Hardy and Mike Koch

Sounds as though the group that strapped bombs on the two women purported to have Down’s Sydrome have been killed at the expense of two SEALs. It’s a bit ambiguous, though, whether or not the account from the soldier in Iraq is speaking of terrorists in general, or if the ones they killed were, in fact, the ones who specifically set up and detonated the two mentally disabled women.

Richard at Soldiers Angels offers this in the comment section:

For anyone wishing to send condolence cards to the families you may send them to me at the following address and I will see that the families receive them. Please note that EVERY card received will be opened and read by me to insure no one sends anything offensive to the families. Please put “Blackfive” in the corner of the envelope so I can mention to the families where the cards are coming from.

Send to:

The Family of Chief Petty Officer Nathan H. Hardy
or
The Family of Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Koch
C/O Patriot Support
716 Centre of New England Blvd. #173
Coventry, RI 02816

The following bios appear at Daily Kos, of all places:

Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Koch, 29, of State College, Pa.

Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Koch, born on a Nebraska Air Force base and reared on bases all over the U.S., had service in his blood. As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes, his father, Donald Koch, is a retired 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran, recently returned from a job in Iraq; his mother, Jean Ann Burkholder, is serving in Afghanistan as an accountant for a U.S. contractor; and his brother, Matthew Koch, had a six-year Navy career and is currently working in Iraq.

Central Pennsylvania’s wooded mountains and small towns are a far cry from the world’s troubled hot spots. Yet that’s where Michael Koch ended up – serving as a Navy SEAL, one of the Navy’s most elite special warfare operators, in

Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, where he died with fellow SEAL Chief Petty Officer Nathan H. Hardy of wounds from small-arms fire, says the Department of Defense.

The Koch family has said little to the media about their son and his death. We do know that for a year and a half, Michael Koch studied engineering at Penn State, as his father told the Centre Daily Times. On July 9, 1998, the younger Koch joined the Navy and spent his summer in boot camp at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. The next spring and summer were spent in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado (Class 224). His aunt, Dee Brown, of Williamsport, Pa., says that during that time his father “camped out in the woods, trying to put himself through some of the same experiences his son was having,” as the Virginian-Pilot put it.

Michael Koch would go on to serve his entire career with East Coast-based SEAL Teams, says the Navy’s press release. (As the Daily Press notes, “For security reasons, the Navy does not release what specific SEAL team the sailors were assigned to.”)

Nor did Koch discuss what he did. “He was humble,” his aunt told the Virginian-Pilot. “He would prefer that we didn’t talk about it. He would just say, ‘It’s my job.’”

Likewise, he didn’t mention his achievements. “He never talked about all these decorations I’m reading about,” his grandmother, 74-year-old Dolores Koch, of Jersey Shore, Lycoming County, Pa., told the Post-Gazette.

According to the Navy, Koch’s awards and decorations included the Bronze Star, one of the highest awards for heroism and meritorious service, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, three Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, an Iraq Campaign Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, five Sea Service deployment awards, the NATO Medal, the Expert Rifle Medal and the Expert Pistol Medal.

His grandmother last saw him at Christmas when he was home for a visit. “I was so thankful that we had that time together,” she told the Post-Gazette. “The last thing I said to him was, ‘Be careful.’ He said, ‘I am, Gram.’ “

Koch is survived by his fiancée, Kathy Howell, of Virginia Beach, Va.; his mother, Jean Ann Burkholder of Corinth, Texas; his father, Donald Koch of Coudersport, Potter County, Pa.; his brother, Matthew Koch, who will accompany his brother’s body home; and his sister, Tiffany Barnard.

Godspeed, Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Koch.

Chief Petty Officer Nathan H. Hardy, 29, of Durham, N.H.

It wasn’t the wedgies, writes Matty Renner in the Union Leader’s comment section. It wasn’t the soccer games, the Natural Lights or the girls they chased together. It was brotherhood. It was Nate Hardy’s smile:

I loved antagonizing you because at the end of the day…you’d give us, you’d give me, that smile, that infectious laugh… and I would do ANYTHING to get you riled up enough to give us a second..the moment we could all share in laughing so hard we could barely breath…it was, and is about brotherhood. It’s that I love you as brother.

And it’s that love that allows us to look after your wife and child, as if we were her family. And to teach Parker all about you…and ultimately, to have the chance, to rile him, as I did you so many times…so I can see you laugh once again.

I miss you Nate, we all do…

Love, Matty

So many people already miss Chief Petty Officer Nathan H. Hardy, if the comments section of this article is anything to go by. The writers talk about his courage, integrity and bravery; his smarts, humor and drive; his firm friendship and his willingness to help others. And, of course, his smile.

Meg Cuddihee, who knew him as a teenager, remembers:

…the ‘get-ready-for this’ smile that crossed his face just before he challenged a buddy to a wrestling match.

the ‘it-was-nothing’ smile just after he and his friends managed to get a large refridgerator down a very narrow hallway.

a very special ‘can-you-believe-it’s mine’ smile when he came to the house to show us his new truck.

I have some idea of the happiness that he brought my son Amos. I can only imagine the particular happiness that he must have brought each of you. He was a beautiful person. His light shines still. Thankyou for sharing him with us.

Please take the time to read through the comments, many of which are just heartbreaking. Nate Hardy was loved.

I’m sorry that the only picture of him that I can give you is so serious – but, then, seriousness of purpose was one of his traits, too.

By the sixth grade, Hardy already knew that he wanted to become a Navy SEAL when he grew up, according to WAVY-TV. It was that ambition that helped him cope with the loss of an older brother, Josh, two years later:

“He held onto that dream and Nate’s oldest brother died of brain cancer when Nate was in the 8th grade. The dream he had to be a Navy SEAL helped us get through that horrible time in our lives,” said Steve Hardy.

The Hardy family has a tradition of service, and both of Hardy’s grandfathers served in the Second World War. One grandfather was rescued from the sea by his shipmate on the PT-109, then-future president John F. Kennedy. “Nate was very proud of his Navy heritage. If I had one wish in my life, it would have been that his two grandfathers could have seen him graduate from BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL),” said Nathan’s father.

He grew up in Durham, N.H., where his parents work for the University of New Hampshire, and was a graduate of Oyster River High School, where he played lacrosse and soccer. ORHS teacher and soccer coach Martin Brewer recalled Hardy’s dedication, saying “He played the game the right way which is with 100 percent commitment… If he tackled any endeavor, you had better believe it was with every fiber of his being — Nate attacked life with vigor.”

Ginny Tagliaferro, his former math teacher at the high school, also remembered Hardy: “Nate was honest, committed and kind to those around him. He was a caring individual who supported his friends, his teachers and his community… The fact that he was willing to sacrifice himself for his country and his men speaks to his courage and his goodness. His loss is a profound one for us all.”

A press release from the Navy notes that Hardy “enlisted in the U.S. Navy Nov. 4, 1997, and graduated from boot camp at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill., in January 1998. The same month, Hardy entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., Class 221. Following graduation from BUD/S in May 1998, Hardy served his entire career with East Coast-based SEAL teams other than attending various schools.”

He was serving his fourth deployment in Iraq when he died of wounds caused by small arms fire during combat operations, says the Department of Defense.

In addition to being the recipient of the Bronze Star – given for “heroic or meritorious achievement or service” – Hardy earned two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, three Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Medals, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, three Sea Service deployment awards, the NATO Medal, the Expert Rifle Medal and the Sharpshooter Pistol Medal.

In addition to his parents, Hardy leaves behind his wife, Mindy; his 7-month-old son, Parker; and a brother, Benjamin Hardy of Middlebury, Vt.

Godspeed, Chief Petty Officer Nathan H. Hardy.

Thanks to monkeybiz at Daily Kos for the excellent legwork.

God bless Nate Hardy and Mike Koch and their families.