Colorado Family Recalls Navy SEAL Killed In Training Accident

The Denver Channel ^ | POSTED: 1:48 p.m. MDT July 7, 2003

[RoughDobermann]

Centaurus High Graduate Killed During Training

BOULDER, Colo. -- The family of Mario Maestas knew his life as a Navy SEAL was dangerous, but he wasn't overseas and news of his death last week in a training exercise was an unexpected blow.

Maestas (pictured, left), a 22-year-old Centaurus High School graduate who grew up in Louisville, died Thursday at Fort Chaffee, Ark. Officials said his platoon was training when a live round of ammunition hit him.

"We knew he had some really hard training ... we didn't expect this," said his sister, Monita, 23.

Family members described Maestas as driven, smart, responsible and polite.

"Whatever he did, he did it because he knew he could excel at it," said his mother, Sandra Senter, of Commerce City. "He knew he was out there to do a job, and he did it. He did it the best of anybody. He always had a good attitude ... and that's my baby."

Survivors also include his father, Bob Maestas, of Louisville, and his aunt and uncle, Virginia and Abe Maestas, of Louisville.

"He was a really clean-cut, family-oriented young man," his aunt said. "He was just a really neat kind of person. It seems like those are the ones we always lose first."

Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

[Black Agnes]

ping.

[Jeff Head]

God rest his soul, and God comfort his family, friends and loved ones.

God grant that we always have many like him, willing to give it all for our nation, our constitution and our way of life.

Trav and harp, one of yours here.

[Jeff Head]

Same idea on the pin...at the same time.

[Support Free Republic]

---

GOD BLESS OUR MILITARY THANK A VET! MAKE A DONATION TODAY
	Keep Our Republic Free Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER It' s in the Breaking News Sidebar

[Jeff Head]

Same idea on the pin ping...same time too.

[Black Agnes]

Wow...scary. Maybe I should write thriller novels too! :)

[Jeff Head]

Go for it...there's absolutely nothing stopping you if an old coboy like me can get one out there in people's hands...anyone could do it!

[STONEWALLS]

""We knew he had some really hard training ... we didn't expect this," said his sister, Monita, 23."

...I feel bad for the family on this....the sister seems like she didn't have a clue that her brother volunteered for a dangerous line of work....I guess some people view the service as just another employer; or the employer of last resort; or some type of job corps.....there's a lot of military illiteracy out there....

[harpseal]

May God rest his soul in peace and comfort his family. He died defending his nation as much as any who have died on a battlefield. Yes, we all know the risk but it can never happen to me is theuniversal belief. IF you had 7 members of the team in a room going on a mission and the mission was so dangerous that only one would return each guy would think he was the one who would be returning.

[Travis McGee]

He deserves every bit as much honor as anyone killed in the line of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan.

[Travis McGee]

Thanks for the ping.

[jwalsh07]

God bless and keep him close.