Caddo Magnet High School paid tribute to two of its alumni, who went on to serve as Navy SEALs. Robert Reeves and Jonas Kelsall both attended Caddo Magnet High School, and on Tuesday, their comrades in the Navy SEALs expressed their appreciation to Caddo Magent High and the Shreveport communities for playing a significant role in the formation of the two brave men.

Command Master Chief Steve Van Horn said: “They were truly the best of the best. Not only were they consummate professionals on and off the battlefield, they were leaders as well. They were also my friends.”

Also present during the tribute, via Skype, was Kelsall’s wife Victoria, who gave the students the following message: “He would want you to devote your lives, and not just your future lives but your current life, to doing things that you love. Things that make you smile and laugh. Things that you’re passionate about. He’d want you to do those things, but at the same time in doing them make a difference in people’s lives.”

The students were able to get a glimpse of the personal lives of Reeves and Kelsall, who both lost their lives in what is now being described as the darkest day in the history of the Naval Special Warfare Group. Their former teachers shared stories of the time they spent at Caddo Magnet High. The two friends were described by their teachers as “mischievous, adventurous, and kind.”

Tanner Brunson, a senior at Caddo Magnet High, shared: “It kind of made me feel how people of our class right now are here, and how they were here, and how they went on to do such great things. It just makes me think of what things our generation could really accomplish.”