The Last Full Measure

In his Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln stated, "...that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion..." Former recounted the service of Lance Corporal Shawn Patrick Hefner who gave his “last full measure of devotion” to the United States.   

Lance Corporal Shawn Patrick Hefner came to my unit in the summer of 2008.  I was the company commander of Delta Company, Second Assault Amphibian Battalion, Second Marine Division.  Shawn was a fresh 21-year-old private first class.  He was one of many young Marines who joined the Corps in patriotic response to 9/11.  He grew up in Hico, Texas and had that typical Texas swagger.  In fact, while attending his occupational specialty school, Shawn got drunk one night and punched an instructor. Needless to say, Shawn was disciplined accordingly and entered my unit with a black mark on his record.  Yet Shawn took nothing for granted and worked harder than his peers in order to show me and his fellow Marines that he was worthy of our trust and respect. 

Shawn deployed with me to Afghanistan in May 2009.  Whether on foot patrol, manning a machine gun in a turret, or maintaining his vehicle, Shawn was tenacious, compassionate, and dedicated to his fellow Marines.  He always volunteered for missions and seemed to relish the long nights, extreme heat and dust, and constant danger.  He had been in firefights and had been in vehicles when they hit roadside bombs.  Not surprisingly, Shawn fed off these challenges and his performance improved throughout the deployment. 

On November 13, Shawn was on our company’s last patrol.  After his unit came back to base, we were turning our mission over to the relieving unit and redeploying to the United States.  For Shawn, it was his last mission ever.  While checking out his vehicle, he stepped on a roadside bomb containing 50-80 pounds of explosive.  The result was instantaneous and irreversible.  Shawn’s section leader brought his remains back to base in a box--the bomb was that powerful.

I spoke with Shawn’s father and mother over the phone from Afghanistan. They were devastated yet proud that their son put himself on the front lines for his fellow Marines and his country. Their stoicism and genuine love for their son truly moved me.  I met Shawn’s parents and his brother when we came home from Afghanistan on Thanksgiving Day.  At a time when every other family rejoiced at the return of their Marine, Shawn’s parents did not see him come off the bus; however, they did hug every Marine who did come back and thanked them for their service.  Once again, the toughness, appreciation, and personal courage of the Hefner family touched me and brought tears to my eyes. 

Shawn’s parents know what it is like to make the ultimate sacrifice.  But they also know that it is only when Americans are willing to make that sacrifice that freedom is secured.