Flags Lowered in Honor of Slain Navy SEALs

Flags at Lakewood City Hall and other city government facilities were lowered to half-staff today in memory of Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jonas Kelsall, one of the 30 Navy Seals killed in Afghanistan this weekend and the son of John Kelsall, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce.

``It's a very sad day in Lakewood,'' Mayor Larry Van Nostran said. ``John has been part of the Lakewood family for many years and we truly feel the pain for the loss of his son Jonas.

``It's really a blow for all of us as Americans. Our military service members in combat zones like Lt. Cmdr. Kelsall put their lives on the line every day doing very dangerous work to try to make the world a safer place. We owe them and their families so much.

``On behalf of the Lakewood City Council and all our city residents, I want to express deepest condolences to John and his family for the loss of their son.''

Tuesday's Lakewood City Council will be adjourned in Kelsall's memory, Van Nostran said Kelsall, 33, and the other Seals were killed Saturday when Taliban insurgents attacked their Chinook helicopter while they were on a mission. The Shreveport, La. native was killed along with his childhood friend and fellow Navy Seal, Chief Petty Officer Robert James Reeves, according to the Shreveport Times newspaper.

The Lakewood connection was first reported by the Long Beach Beachcomber newspaper on its website. Kelsall and Reeves were both graduates of Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport, where they played soccer together, the paper reported. Both joined the military after graduation.

Jonas Kelsall received most of his training in San Diego and was one of the first members of Seal Team 7, his father told the Shreveport newspaper. He attended the University of Texas out of Basic Underwater Demolition training and met his wife, Victoria, there. They had been married three years, according to the Shreveport paper.

John Kelsall has been president and chief executive officer of the Lakewood chamber since 2005. He is also a co-founder of the Los Angeles County Business Federation, known as BizFed, a group that works to give local companies ``a voice'' in policy matters. An associate of John Kelsall told the Beachcomber he was always talking about ``my son, the Seal.''

--City News Service