Sergeant Kyle Seitsinger '93 killed in Afghanistan
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Sergeant Kyle
Seitsinger '93 |
Danton 'Kyle' Seitsinger was
born in Oklahoma City October 4, 1974, to Dan and Jo Seitsinger. He died
serving his country in Afghanistan on January 29, 2004.
Kyle graduated from Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, MO, in May
of 1993. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps on December 7, 1993. During his
six and a half year tour of duty, Kyle guarded U.S. embassies in
Brasilia, Moscow and the consulate in Rio de Janeiro.
At each of his stops, men of his company gave spontaneous awards to Kyle
for his leadership style. Kyle was also an expert marksman and rifle
instructor at Camp Pendleton. He was named 'Top Gun' at his embassy
school graduation in Quantico, VA. Of the 150 Marines who started the
program, only 50 graduated, including Kyle.
Kyle enrolled in Oklahoma Christian University in the fall of 2000. He
enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves when he enrolled in OCU, and was a
senior when he was called into active duty in November 2003, just 12
months short of his graduation with a dual major in journalism and
Spanish. While at OCU, Kyle worked for the Talon, the student
newspaper, serving as an editor for two years. In 2002, Kyle was
selected as one of sixteen student journalists to participate in the
Summer Institute in Journalism sponsored by the Coalition of Christian
Colleges and Universities. His assignments included interviews with the
Colombian president as well as U.S. representatives Ernest Istook and
J.C. Watts. In 2003, Kyle spent six months in Costa Rica in a program
designed to immerse the learner in the Spanish language. He had
expressed an interest in a career of service in the U.S. diplomatic
corps in South America and was an aspiring photojournalist.
Kyle's adventurous spirit blended well with the Marines, who showed him
the world. He grew from a tempestuous child to a disciplined, confident
young man. His college newspaper columns covered everything from world
affairs to his opinion of the 'ridiculous' logo his university adopted.
Kyle embraced a journalism career and aimed high, with hopes of being a
photojournalist and a foreign war correspondent, perhaps even winning a
Pulitzer Prize or two.
Meanwhile, he enthusiastically covered high school games and worked as a
copy messenger at The Oklahoman, realizing he had dues to pay before
getting there. Kyle made many friends at The Oklahoman who remember him
fondly. Kyle's down to earth, gregarious personality attracted friends
of all kinds.
In Brasilia, he 'adopted' two young poor girls and urged his family to
send them gifts. He rarely missed a chance to practice Spanish or
Portuguese with natives. Despite their cultural differences, Kyle always
knew what to say and how to keep them talking. Kyle wasted no time,
rising early to explore the many cities he visited. It's as though he
knew he needed a faster pace to complete his life. We'll cherish the
many stories that surround Kyle's antics, his cleverness and his special
kind of audacity. We'll miss you, Kyle, always. Our solace comes in
knowing that you have invigorated our souls and taught us that love is
stronger than death.
Kyle is survived by his father, Dan, his mother, Jo, and two sisters,
Karla Seitsinger of New York City and Penny Owen Cockerell of Dallas.
In lieu of memorials, the family requests that donations be made to
Wentworth Military Academy, 1880 Washington Avenue, Lexington, MO, 64067
and the Gridiron Club, c/o Don Schmidt, 330 N. Country Club Terrace,
Mustang, OK 73064, which provides journalism scholarships.