The Miranda Trauma Center

We held a ceremony dedicating the FST to SO3 (SEAL) Denis C. Miranda.  Attending the ceremony was the Commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group 2.

Miranda Trauma Center

Denis was one of the SEALS who died in the helicopter crash on September 21, 2010.  He arrived to us pulseless but with some electrical activity, a testament to a commando's conditioning.  We put blood directly into his heart but it was readily apparent that his wounds were not survivable and he was pronounced here.  He was honored with a ramp ceremony on the FOB flight line before his body was taken home.

Denis was from New Jersey.  He enlisted in the navy and was initially a navy corpsman before beginning Basic Underwater Demolition School, the first step in SEAL training.  He was a medic and a sniper with SEAL Team 4 based in Little Creek, VA and deployed with them.  His biography is here.  His obituary is here.  A tribute to him can be found here.

SEALs at the ceremony

The commodore remarked during the dedication that he had attended all of the memorial services and funerals for the four members of his command killed that day.  He described the scene at Denis' funeral in which all of the students at his high school lined the streets to honor their fallen alumna.  He wished to emphasize that, based on his experiences, there was no question that Americans still support the troops.

Plaque honoring SO3 Miranda

Because he was a fellow sailor, a former corpsman and our patient, we felt that it was a fitting tribute to name the FST after him.  May he rest in peace.