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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady delivered a video message to the family of a Navy SEAL killed recently in action. In a column this Memorial Day weekend, Bill Speros of the Boston Herald wrote about Navy SEAL Kyle Milliken, a Maine native and former UConn track athlete killed in Somalia on May 5.
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Brady delivered the video message last week at the funeral of Milliken, thanking the hero's wife and their two children for their sacrifice.
Speros shared that at Milliken's funeral in Virginia Beach, Va., Brady's video offered condolences and spoke of how Milliken was considered a "glue guy" by UConn track coach Greg Roy.
Milliken, 38, became the first American service member killed in Somalia since the early 1990s, dying in a firefight during a raid. He spent 15 years in the Navy, earning a spot on SEAL Team Six and securing four Bronze Stars for his efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Milliken had a special connection to the Patriots when in 2011 he and other Navy SEALs took part in a training exercise at Gillette Stadium.
After the exercise, the SEALs spent time with Brady and coach Bill Belichick, and Milliken posed for a photo with the Patriots quarterback.
The impact on Brady resonated six years later and Patriots owner Robert Kraft also remembered Milliken fondly in a statement to the Boston Herald.
"It was an honor to host Kyle and his team for an exercise at Gillette Stadium in 2011," Kraft said. "It gave new meaning to the stadium being known as home of the Patriots. We were deeply saddened to hear of Kyle's death earlier this month.
"As Memorial Day weekend approaches, we are reminded of the sacrifices made by patriots like Kyle and so many others who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend and protect our rights as Americans. Our thoughts, prayers and heartfelt appreciation are extended to the Milliken family and the many families who will be remembering lives lost this Memorial Day weekend."
