SOC (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minn., was one of 30 United States service members killed in the Aug. 6, 2011, CH-47 Chinook helicopter crash in Wardak province, Afghanistan. After attending Minnehaha Academy and graduating in 1998, Faas enlisted in the Navy and then completed SEAL training in 2001. He was survived by family and friends; his legacy is remembered through the John Faas Foundation.

“As a principal, you hope you impact kids lives, but once in a while you have a kid that goes through that kind of impact your life and I think of John as one of those kids.” – Dean Erickson, via CBS Minnesota

The Travis Manion Foundation honored SOC (SEAL) John W. Faas with 31 other Fallen Heroes through our Character Does Matter program at the Westover School in Middlebury, Conn., on Jan. 18, 2013.