David Shaw
Staff Sergeant, United States Marine Corps
October 23, 1957 – February 23, 1991
Age – 33
South Harrisville, MI
Persian Gulf
Armored Amphibious Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Quantico, VA
Died in of a heart attack in Saudi Arabia as his unit approached the Kuwaiti border
SSgt David Shaw was a 15 year veteran of the Marine Corps. He joined the Marines shortly after graduation from Alcona High School in 1976. He had been stationed in California with his wife Julie and two children.
His sister said he was proud to be a Marine and to serve his country. His father had been a career Marine, serving in Korea and Vietnam. He had played varsity football and was popular among his classmates. He had a real gift for making people laugh. He was a talented artist and designed his unit’s flag. He lived a good life and had wanted to go over there, to be with his buddies. When he got orders to go, he told his mother to be happy for him. That is what he wanted.
Shaw arrived in Saudi Arabia on February 5, but he apparently died of a heart attack enroute to combat. At midday on February 23, SSgt Shaw complained of stomach cramps and knew it signaled a reoccurrence of a heart condition. He avoided seeing a corpsman, however, and attempted to hide the pain by resting in the shade of a portable bridge. There he suffered a massive heart attack and a search party later found him barely alive. While a team of corpsmen attempted to revive him, Shaw’s story came to light.
Several years before, Navy doctors diagnosed him, an AAV crewman, as having an occasional irregular heartbeat. He fought to remain in active service, went through physical rehabilitation, and eventually was cleared for full duty. The doctors attached one restriction, Shaw could not rejoin the Fleet Marine Force. Assigned to the AAV unit at Quantico, he enjoyed being back with amphibious vehicles and expedited to remain there until retirement. In January, the need for additional AAV qualified personnel in Saudi Arabia led to his volunteering and transfer to one of the casualty replacement companies station at Camp 15 at Jubayl. While awaiting assignment, Shaw’s heart condition reoccurred and worsened. He managed to escape the findings of a subsequent examination by removing the disqualifying report from his medical records. An urgent request for AAV personnel to crew vehicles combat engineer unit led to his transfer to Task Force Papa Bear. SSgt Shaw repeatedly told friends of his happiness at being back in a division and a part of the coming battle. He died before the Medevac helicopter arrived.