Twenty-year-old Tyler Seideman made the ultimate sacrifice. Seideman, who grew up in Lincoln, served in Iraq for about a year when the Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed during a mission on the night of August 22. Seideman was assigned to the 2-nd Battalion, 35-th Infantry Regiment based out of Hawaii. Thirteen other soldiers died in the crash-- which reportedly occurred as the result of mechanical problems. Seideman was one of the youngest on board. "The family's doing fairly well. It was a little bit tough on Thursday evening when the soldier came home, because that was his first time being back home since deploying," says Stefan Ohlenmacher, who spoke with the family. Saturday morning those who knew Seideman best, and those who didn't know him at all came to honor his life and sacrifice. Patriot Guard Riders rode in from all over to pay their respects, as did members of the Army, Navy and Air Force. Fellow soldiers laid Seideman to rest at Fayetteville National Cemetery. The family has set up the Tyler Seideman Memorial Fund at Arvest Bank. If you'd like to donate, contact your local Arvest branch.
