SOC Kevin Houston
Kevin Houston knew, at age 9, that he wanted to grow up to become a Navy SEAL. He was already fascinated with the Viet Nam war and the frogmen he read about. From 6th grade forward, it was all about making up missions for him and his friends such as scaling up the side of a neighbor’s 2 story house to sit on the roof awhile and then repel down the side to the ground.
He enrolled in the US Sea Cadet Corps at 10. He loved it. When he was learning his knots, he’d come home and tie his sister up using various knots. In Sea Cadets, he had learned everything the new guys had to learn, so he breezed through basic training.
In August, 1998 he was accepted into BUD/s class 221. Because he was so strong willed, he was able to get straight through - no rolling out, no bell ringing, just that Houston focus.
After completing the BUD/s program, he was assigned to SEAL Team 4. He trained a lot in jungle warfare and survival in South America as well as his jump training (parachutes) which he didn’t care for. However, in Kevin tradition, those things he liked least, he trained to be the best so as not to lose his focus.
Kevin had been a co-captain on the Barnstable High School football team. His athletic prowess garnered him great respect and he in turn used that respect to lead the team. His leadership skills were a strong suit for him. His leadership was well put to use, earning him bronze stars with the “V” for valor and two Purple Hearts.
In 2005 he became a trainer in Nevada, teaching men how to discover land mines. When he got bored with that, he applied to SEAL Team 6. He wanted to up his ante, see how good his skills really were, that type of mindset. To be one of the finest of the fine, and once again, he made it through with no problems - other than the 3rd and 2nd degree road rash he had to attend to!
Kevin, twenty-nine other men and Bart, a service dog, were shot down while riding in a Chinook in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011. To this day, it is the largest loss of life in the War on Terror.
Seallegacy.org was founded by his teammates, in honor of Kevin.