Dustin Shannon
First Lieutenant, United States Army
Age – 23
October 6, 1978 – August 23, 2002
Vassar, MI
1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division,
Combat Aviation Brigade, Fort Riley, Kansas
Killed when his AH64A Apache Helicopter crashed into a
hillside at Chuncheon (Camp Page), South Korea
Dustin was a 1996 graduate of Vassar High School. Graduating from West Point in 2000, he went on to complete flight school. Along the way he was the winner of numerous awards and recognition, but none were more important to him than the respect of his peers. He completed flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, certified to fly the Apache attack helicopter.
At his funeral, his brother Ethan spoke. One of the pieces of music playing while people were being seated was Elton John’s Princess Di version of Candle in the Wind, and Ethan noted that that was unfortunate, because often people associate the music they hear with an event. “Dustin didn’t live life like that,” Ethan said. “He was a bonfire that could be seen miles away.”
Ethan recounted stories of his and Dustin’s childhood, which included many hours of playing video games, getting into trouble in the many ways brothers manage to do, and getting into fist-fights with each other, all of which would end with them making up and checking each other’s condition.
Many people have asked how such a horrible thing could happen to such a wonderful person, and Ethan said maybe that wasn’t the right question to ask. Ask yourself why you had a chance to know this man,” he said. “I was fortunate to be a brother to such a great man.”
To say he lived life to the fullest would be a mockery; he lived life with a vengeance. Dustin lived by a code of honor that was second nature to himself, but often insurmountable to others. He lived by the sacred fundamentals of The Long Gray Line in Duty, Honor, Country; to never lie, cheat or steal, values that have gone unchanged in 200 years. He served his country with the strongest sense of Army values prioritizing his life in My mission, My men, My self. This selfless persona caused those around him not only to love him, but to rally to his cause.
He in every way embodied the type of person we all strive to be, but all too frequently fall short on in our attempts. Dustin was many things to many people, a loving brother, son and friend. To others he was a dedicated superior or subordinate. In all of these people he was able to light a spark that allowed them to burn brighter than what they could have before. To list his survivors would be impossible. He touched people around the world, and to single out any one person would be an injustice to the rest. There is not a person in this group who would not have most willingly laid out their life for Dustin, as he did so for them with his. In a lifetime of moments, he defined each instead of letting such moments define him. In his own words, it is far better to burn out than to fade away.
Shannon’s biology teacher, Gary Hackett, said he had so many positive qualities that it’s difficult to pick the ones he admired the most. His combination of drive and modesty were impressive, he said. “I don’t think I’ve seen too many students with those two together,” Hackett said. As accomplished as he was, Hackett said Shannon rarely took sole credit for what he did, and “We all know it was Dustin,” he said.
High school friend Matthew Terry said Shannon’s selflessness showed in the work he did on the school motto, which he wrote with another classmate. “I realized Dustin was putting others before himself as he worked to create something we could take with us,” Terry said. As accomplished as he was and as often as he was praised, Terry said Shannon remained modest. Instead would credit his family, teachers and friends. “He never let any of this get to his head,” he said.
As with most of the other speakers, Terry said one of Shannon’s more memorable qualities was his sense of humor and remembering that made saying goodbye less difficult. “We are saying goodbye not just to a friend but to someone who wanted us to be the best we could be,” he said. “He just wanted you to be a better person.” Shannon was a hero, he said, and not just because he died serving his country. “He was a hero because of the way he lived,” he said. “I feel blessed to have known Dustin.”