While we featured Nate Hardy three times already, we have yet to do a story on the other SEAL who lost his life that fateful day in February 2008. Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer Mike Koch shared a number of things with Nate Hardy — they were born on the same year, suffered the same wounds, became heroes on the same day, and are buried side by side at the Arlington National Cemetery.

His full name is Michael Eugene Koch, born on May 12, 1978 in Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska. He comes from a family with a tradition of service; his parents are Donald Koch, a 20-year veteran of the US Air Force and Jean Ann Burkholder. When Mike lost his life in Iraq, his mother and his brother Matthew were also there, working with U.S. contractors. A six-year veteran of the U.S. Navy himself, Matthew is as much a Navy man as his brother was. He accompanied his brother’s remains, as well as that of Nate Hardy’s, on their trip home.

Relatives recall how Mike lived the SEAL life long before he actually became one. Growing up and having fun consisted of scuba diving, climbing mountains and scaling cliffs; visits to his grandparents’ farm near Jersey Shore consisted of rappelling down a silo.

Mike enlisted in the Navy on July 9, 1998 after spending a year and a half in Penn State, and completed boot camp at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois in September, 1998. He was among the recruits of BUD/S Class 224, who entered the training in January 1999 and graduated in August that year. Just like Hardy, he served his entire career with East Coast-based SEAL Teams.

ArlingtonCemetery.net recounts a story told by Koch’s aunt, Dee Brown of Williamsport, about how close the Koch family is. Apparently, during the time that his son was undergoing SEAL training, the elder Koch camped out in the woods in an attempt to be one with his son as he suffered through training.

Koch also served in Afghanistan and Kosovo, aside from Iraq. He received, among others, the Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal, and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. With his passing he left, aside from his family, a fiancée of eight years.