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http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/08/07/afghanistan.fatality/
Grandmother of fallen Navy SEAL: 'He was a great American'
By the CNN Wire Staff
August 7, 2011 -- Updated 0452 GMT (1252 HKT)
Click to play
Grandmother remembers killed Navy SEAL
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Aaron Carson Vaughn is among 30 U.S. troops killed in crash, relative says
Relative: "He was willing to give his life to protect his family and protect his country"
Vaughn was a father to a toddler and 2-month old baby girl, his grandmother says
(CNN) -- Navy SEAL Aaron Carson Vaughn, one of 30 U.S. special operations troops killed in a helicopter crash Saturday in Afghanistan, was a "great American," his grandmother said.
"As a brave warrior, Aaron was brave. But yet, he was a gentle man," Geneva Carson Vaughn told CNN.
"He loved his family. He loved his country and he was willing to give his life to protect his family and protect his country. He was a great American."
Among the 30 U.S. troops killed when the helicopter carrying them went down were 22 Navy SEALS, officials said. Also on board the helicopter were a civilian interpreter and seven Afghan commandos, officials said.
SEALs killed were on rescue mission
Chopper crash 'big loss' for Navy SEALs
RELATED TOPICS
U.S. Navy SEALs
Afghanistan
It was the single largest loss of life for U.S. troops since the Afghan war began in late 2001.
The troops died during a "quick reaction" mission to assist military personnel pinned down by insurgents in a fierce firefight, a U.S. military official speaking on condition of anonymity told CNN.
Insurgents are believed to have shot down the CH-47 Chinook, said the official, who was not authorized to release details to the media. The Taliban claimed militants downed the helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade.
Vaughn is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their two children -- a toddler and a 2-month-old baby girl, his grandmother said.
She spoke to CNN by phone from Union City, Tennessee, where she said Vaughn was born. He had wanted to be a Navy SEAL ever since he was a boy, she said, adding that he worked hard and had won several military medals.
Her grandson, who turned 30 in June, was stationed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and had been in the service for about eight years, she said.
She recalled one of the last conversations she had with him.
"I told him to be careful and he said, 'Granny, don't worry about me.' He said 'I'm not afraid because I know where I'm going if something happens to me.' Aaron was a Christian and he stood firm in his faith," she said, her voice heavy with emotion.
"He's with the Lord now, and I'll see him again some day."
CNN's Barbara Starr and David Ariosto contributed to this report.
Grandmother of fallen Navy SEAL: 'He was a great American'
By the CNN Wire Staff
August 7, 2011 -- Updated 0452 GMT (1252 HKT)
Click to play
Grandmother remembers killed Navy SEAL
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Aaron Carson Vaughn is among 30 U.S. troops killed in crash, relative says
Relative: "He was willing to give his life to protect his family and protect his country"
Vaughn was a father to a toddler and 2-month old baby girl, his grandmother says
(CNN) -- Navy SEAL Aaron Carson Vaughn, one of 30 U.S. special operations troops killed in a helicopter crash Saturday in Afghanistan, was a "great American," his grandmother said.
"As a brave warrior, Aaron was brave. But yet, he was a gentle man," Geneva Carson Vaughn told CNN.
"He loved his family. He loved his country and he was willing to give his life to protect his family and protect his country. He was a great American."
Among the 30 U.S. troops killed when the helicopter carrying them went down were 22 Navy SEALS, officials said. Also on board the helicopter were a civilian interpreter and seven Afghan commandos, officials said.
SEALs killed were on rescue mission
Chopper crash 'big loss' for Navy SEALs
RELATED TOPICS
U.S. Navy SEALs
Afghanistan
It was the single largest loss of life for U.S. troops since the Afghan war began in late 2001.
The troops died during a "quick reaction" mission to assist military personnel pinned down by insurgents in a fierce firefight, a U.S. military official speaking on condition of anonymity told CNN.
Insurgents are believed to have shot down the CH-47 Chinook, said the official, who was not authorized to release details to the media. The Taliban claimed militants downed the helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade.
Vaughn is survived by his wife, Kimberly, and their two children -- a toddler and a 2-month-old baby girl, his grandmother said.
She spoke to CNN by phone from Union City, Tennessee, where she said Vaughn was born. He had wanted to be a Navy SEAL ever since he was a boy, she said, adding that he worked hard and had won several military medals.
Her grandson, who turned 30 in June, was stationed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and had been in the service for about eight years, she said.
She recalled one of the last conversations she had with him.
"I told him to be careful and he said, 'Granny, don't worry about me.' He said 'I'm not afraid because I know where I'm going if something happens to me.' Aaron was a Christian and he stood firm in his faith," she said, her voice heavy with emotion.
"He's with the Lord now, and I'll see him again some day."
CNN's Barbara Starr and David Ariosto contributed to this report.
