Remembering the servicemembers who died in the service of their country.
Army Sgt. Shawna M. Morrison
26, of Champaign, Illinois.
Morrison died in Baghdad, Iraq, during a mortar attack. She was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1544th Transportation Company, Paris, Illinois. Died on September 5, 2004.
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“20 years later. Still remember you. Still love you.”
J of Washington
“I remember it like it were yesterday. We will never forget.”
Dawn Nehls of Traverse City, MI
“Shawna, we always seemed to meet at the MWR tent to send emails home. I remember us under the tables as mortars were falling on the base. We both laughed and smiled and you said “We gota quit meeting like this!” I laughed and said ‘People are gonna start talking’. I got to know you from our inpromptu meetings at the MWR and everytime I saw you you always made me smile. You will not be forgotten. God Bless You and your family.”
MSG Chris Salek USA (Retired) of Muscatine, Iowa
“We attended 88M school together and shared some happy times. You were such a beautiful, warm and happy woman that everyone loved being around. Although we served in sister units while in Iraq,i felt your loss deeply and think of you often and fondly. You are deeply missed hon.”
Wes Perkins of Lisle, Illinois
“Shawna I will always remember you running to stay in shape. You always brightened up our office when you came into visit. I was there treating your fellow wounded and helped load you into the truck for transport to the TMC. I will always remember your bright eyes and smile. My condolences to your family.”
SFC Michael S. Pais (RET) of 515th CSB Log Base Seitz Iraq 04-05
“Shawna,
Thinking about you today on your birthday. I will never forget you and the times we shared. You’re in my heart always.”
Kevin Kydd of Buffalo, NY
“Shawna- it’s been years since we took that 4th of July trip to Detroit. I’ll always remember our walk on the lake beach and still have the stone you gave me. I think about you often and miss your wild sense of humor. The joke about the roofers still makes me laugh.”
Tim Booth of Washington, D.C.
“Shawna,
Well, Shawna, I cannot believe it’s been five years. Rarely does a day pass where I don’t think of yur smiling face. I just want you and your family to know how grateful I am to have known you. Before Iraq I never took the time to get to know you. I am so happy that I was able to get to know the true you in the time we spent in Iraq. You have the most amazing heart and you let it shine. You were such a hard worker. I remember preparing and coming back from missions to see you digging a trench across the base. One of the funniest stories I remember was when we went to get a massage in Iraq. We had to stay in the room together and YOU were cracking me up. I treasure that experience. Just so you know you encouraged me to get into running and fitness. I run the Shawna Morrison race every year, along with other races. I am starting to train for a half marathon that is next year. You would be so proud of me. I use to hate running and only ran to try and pass pt tests. You got me to start running in Iraq. You are such a blessing! I will never forget you because you have a place in my heart. May God bless you and your family. Love ya”
H Buzan of Champaign
“To the family of Shawna I wish I could have been there for the funeral to show my respects and gratitude for what she did for our country. I rode the bus with Shawna growing up and it was always a joy to see her joy everyday at school and on the bus. I was at Sheppard Air Force Base in tech school when I received word that she had died and it really hit me more since at that time I had just recently enlisted and was looking at my first base in Idaho. I would greatly like to pay my respects to Shawna when I come home next and I very much wish I could have been there to wish her fairwell one last time. Your daughter was a blessing to everyone.
God Bless…”
SSgt Ryan K. Belleau of Mountain Home, Idaho
“Shawna, eventhough our lives took seperate paths a few years before you left us, I would like you to know I have often thought of you over the years. I look at pictures of some of the crazy the times we spent together and always end up with a smile on my face. I pray for your family and I also pray for the many brave members of our military. Thank you for your service. You are missed.”
Jennie K of Crystal Lake, IL
“August 20, 2008
To the family of Sgt. Shawna M. Morrison:
Shawna gave the ultimate sacrifice and will be held in the hearts of Americans forever. I cannot and will not let our fallen heroes be forfgotten. My deepest sympathy to you. “Some gave all.”
Peggy Childers
“Don’t Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away”
www.IraqWarHeroes.org”
Peggy Childers of Carson City, NV
“I was sitting on the tail-gate of my truck out in the field at JRTC. It was one in the morning, Hot, miserable and tired. I had been up for some 30 hours. It is pitch black night not a soul around. All of a sudden out of the dark walks Morrison. She walks up to me and asks if anything need to be done? …at One in the morning Morrison? yeah, I reply get me a bag of M&M’s. Like she appeared, she vanishes! ten minutes or so later she appears M&M’s in hand, ” here’s your M&M’s Mr. Olivito. anything you asked of her it was done quickly, with enthusiam and a smile and above like a soldier. I miss you Morrison”
CW4 Frank Olivito of East Peoria, Illinois
“Shawna,
I will always remember the time you drove for hours just to make it out to my graduation party. You made a wrong turn that ended up taking you a couple of hours out of the way, but you still backtracked and made it out to my house instead of going back to Grandma’s. I am truly appreciative of all the love and kindness you showed me. I wish I could have gotten to know you better.
Love Your Little Cousin”
Andrew of Kalamazoo, MI
“I still think of you everyday Shawna aka AWOL. You are still the closest to my heart as you always will be. I truly believe that you’re my soul mate. By that I mean you were my best friend and the only one that I could ever be close too. And you were the only crazy lady that was spur of the moment.I will never find another like you.And don’t want too.Because you were one of a kind! And I lost a huge peice of me when I last saw you.But you will always be with me!! We still have matching tattoos!!!Love you and the family as well!!! xoxo”
Monica of Chicago
“Shawna,
You were a rock star. 2 years ago, I can’t believe it.
Too much cut off too quick.
“Why Chickens are Funny” is the best conversation we had.
caw,
“Spoke””
Drew Hagen of Champaign, IL
“Dear Shawna, I never knew you. But I would just like to offer my condolences to your family and let you all know that the grief and sorrow over the loss of such fine, no wonderful, young men and women in this war, reaches across oceans. I trust you are in a better place now where all your dreams and hopes come true and I wish young people like you would never have to go to war. Bless you and your family.”
Jan Morup of currently residing in Denmark
“Man girl, this sucks. Talk about taking life for granted. I had the pleasure of living in your presence for the last months of your life. Thank you. Thank you for your kindness, your gentleness, and belief in everyone. You are great. I wish I could of been at your funeral. I heard it was unbelievable. Saluting your rifle wasn’t the goodbye I wanted.”
Jennifer Buffington of Carbondale, Il/US
“I would like to thank everybody from my heart for the graditude that you have shown for my sister. She would like to know that her memory, personality, and courageousness will never be forgotten and that she will always be charished in our hearts! Thank You again so much”
Allan Morrison (brother) of Paris, Illinois
“Regretfully, I never knew Shawna too well personally, but as a Champbana resident it would have been hard not to notice her, and the impact wound left on our community in her absence. I am now involved with an organization locally that is putting on event series and exhibition that might be of interest to those personally affected by such a loss. ‘In War/At War: the practice of everyday’ opens thursday at OPEN*SOURCE Art 12 e. washington in n.downtown champaign. details are available at opensource.boxwith.com”
stoph of champaign
“My dear Shawna,
I remember the first time I worked with you- my first AT down at Ft. Campbell. You tried to teach me to use the intricate field telephone system you had set up for our company. I was hopeless at it but you patiently reviewed each step with me. I continued to be amazed at the efficiency and confidence with which you handled each call.
During my first full day after arriving late in Iraq, I was sitting in an office being briefed on what my initial responsibilities would be. I remember how you burst into the room with your usual gusto, a bright smile on your face. As I stood up from my chair you rushed over, threw your arms around me in a bear hug, and exclaimed “we’re so glad you’re here!” I have never felt so welcome anywhere in my whole life. It brings tears to my eyes to this day, thinking of how you wanted me to feel comfortable and among the old family again.
Bless you Shawna, your graceful run, your shining smile, and your kind heart. I will always think of you with a smile. Thank you.”
E. Nussbaum of Bloomington, IL
“Happy Birthday, AWOL. You are sorely missed.”
Spike of Champaign, IL
“Shawna was my friend, and I miss her. Every day that I enjoy freedom and comfort I thank her for making it possible. Still, I really miss my friend.”
David of Chicago, IL
“My name is Cameron Schilling and I have started “Portrait of a Soldier” which donates a portrait sketch of every Illinois soldier who has fallen in Iraq or Afghanistan. All 122 sketches will be on display for a Memorial Day Presentation in Chicago, Illinois on May 26-31 at the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. After the ceremony the sketches will be given to the immediate families of the Illinois soldiers. I would invite any friends or family members to come and honor these men and women from Illinois who have given their lives to our country. For more information please contact OperationHomeFront.org at 866-417-8889 which is an organization headed by the Lt. Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois who is in charge of the Memorial Day Presentation. Thank You.
Please check out www.portraitofasoldier.org
To contact Cameron email cameronschilling84@hotmail.com
To contact Operation Home Front call 866-417-8889″
Cameron Schilling of Charleston, Illinois
“Shawna will always be present with me. I want to thank your family for raising a great person. Your wit and easy manner,most of the times, will be cherished forever by me and by all that knew you. I want to express my sadness to your family for your early departure. Even though you are not with us we are with you. I wont forget the last time we had dinner at Seitz with Lamb, just before …. Your mood was fantastic and life spilled out of your every pore. I am proud that I met you and that we were in 88M school together. Thanks, you will be missed forever.”
L. Mari of Chicago,IL
“shawna, you have no idea how much you have impacted my life. any and all time we spent together, good and bad, you never stop astonishing me with your looks at life . i wish we could have lived those times we talked about late at night when we would just walk around our post and tell stories. you inspire me to keep going and to never quit. i think of you always and as you once told me, you are still the calm in my life and i am still the crazyness in yours. i thank you and you family for the sacrafices for our country that you have made. there is no greater good that you could have dont than to just do your job, and if anyone did theyre job, it was you. i miss you and know that i will see you in heaven soon. because we both know that heaven is a much better place then the one we last met in. love, Evans”
Daniel C. Evans of New Mexico
“My name is Cameron Schilling. I am a college student from central Illinois. I am the first generation of my family not to serve his country. I am extremely grateful for the sacrifice you and your loved one has given for the United States. I am disappointed by the way the news media has covered this war and the deaths of our youth. The media as stopped listing the names of the soldiers killed in Iraq and people only talk about the soldiers when we reach a specific milestone in deaths. If you just started watching the news today you would not even know there is a war going on. Partisan politics have replaced coverage of our young generation who have traveled to a foreign land in the name of the United States. Whether you believe the war in Iraq is wrong, right, justified or not everyone should pay even just a little more attention to what these young men and women are sacrificing. This is what I would like to do. I want to do my part in honoring these soldiers and their memories. Along with being a college student I am also a budding artist. I draw pencil portraits of local people in my community. I want to offer a pencil portrait sketch to the immediate family of every Illinois soldier killed in Iraq. Please contact me at cameronschilling84@hotmail.com.”
Cameron Schilling of Illinois
“Shawna Morrison is most certainly a hero. She was in her civilian life(she
could cheer up the most down-trodden
soul within a matter of minutes),and she was in her military career(she was
working with families in Iraq in addition to her assigned duties).
To honor her, I must say the following…
Shawna was betrayed by her government.
The logistical support that was necessary to protect the 1544th in their assigned mission was virtually
non-existent.Incompetence?Neglect? It
doesn’t matter anymore.
I feel so bad for Shawna’s family and
her closest friends that she is no longer here. She was truly a great woman.”
bill turner of champaign,il,usa
“Shawna was my co-worker at Radio Maria in Champaign. She was so strong and so delicate. I remember thinking that she couldn’t possibly be a soldier because she was so sensitive.
Her death continues to derail me, even now, a year later. She is always right there in the back of my mind. She was such a blithe spirit. I miss you, Shawna. caw.”
Pamela Crews (spike) of Champaign, IL
“Shawna is the love of my life. I’m glad I had such a fun loving free spirited friend in my life. Although she had such a short time here on earth she will remain in my heart forever. Thank you for always keeping me in mind during your hardship. All of you are in my thoughts everyday and my heart.”
Monica of Chicago IL
“To the family of Shawna M Morrison, I am so sorry for the loss of your love one. She died a hero defending freedom. May you have the peace and understanding that only comes from God. Hopefully we will all meet in Heaven one day where we will rest in the arms of Jesus. If you need someone to pray with you or someone to talk to please call or write my pastor at Gateway Community Church: Rev John B. Pearrell 11677 Brown Bridge Rd. Covington, Ga 30016. Your friend in Jesus Christ”
Polly Ballew of Covington Ga
“To the Family of SGT Shawna Morrison:
My friends and I have constructed a memorial to the service men and women from Wisconsin and Illinois who have died in Iraq which includes, as of 7/12/05, 112 crosses and Stars of David. We would like your permission to put Shawna’s name on one of them.
We have called our display “Arlington Midwest” and it is located in Wisconsin Dells, WI.
It is our expression of mourning for the indescribable loss you have suffered for our country.
If you would like us to do this, please email me at ArlingtonMidwest@yahoo.com.
We invite you to visit Arlington Midwest. I can send you directions and some pictures by email.
“As long as we live, they too will live;
for they are now a part of us,
as we remember them.”
Marty Preston of Wisconsin Dells, WI
“Thank you so much for your eternal gift to all of us in America. God Bless You And Your Family.”
Jack Morrison of Chicago, IL
“Thank you SGT Shawna Morrison for your ultimate sacrifice in this fight against
pure evil.
It’s people like you that have given our country the ability to breath in freedom.
You will have not sacrificed in vain, your comrades will see to that.
May the good Lord bless your wonderful family !!!
You will always be in our hearts !!!!
Sincerely,
The Sicari family”
Amedeo Sicari of Fitchburg, MA. USA
“i never new you but in art i had to pick a person who died in the war. i picked you for that project and then i will paint a portrait of you.”
adrianna of richmond, va usa
“i have recently received my HERO BRACELET that honors those who have given their lives in iraq. sgt. shawna m morrison is now on my wrist. i feel honored to wear her name as i support her family and all those who have fallen for my freedom.”
c. w. marcom of grand prairie, tx
“Thank you soldier,you are my hero,you will never be forgotten as a hero.Thank you for your sacfrifice”
grateful of california
“I would like to say I am sorry for the loss of Sgt Morrison and loss of her fellow brother Spc Lamb. You guys did a heck of a job over there and we know you did more than your part. We are all very proud of you. We mourn the distinguishment of your life, but know you are looking down upon us now.”
Spc. Hicks of central IL
“Sergeant Morrison, goodbye soldier and thank you. You are my hero.”
Bill of Houston, Texas
“To Shawna’s Family and Friends:
On behalf of the Blanco-Caldas family, we send our sincerest condolences. We share the same loss … the same pain. Our prayers are with you in this most difficult time and we thank you for your soldier’s bravery and sacrifice.
Sincerely,
The Family of Capt. Ernesto M. Blanco-Caldas, 82nd Airborne
KIA Iraq 12/28/2003.
Gloria Caldas (The Big Ern’s Mom) of San Antonio, TX
gloria.caldas@banksterling.com”
“We Will NEVER FORGET !”
Please KNOW so many people share your sadness, and we are remembering your family in your loss and your deep grief. Your HERO, Shawna will be remembered by name. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. God Bless you. Pat & Sandi Breckenridge from Montana “
“To the family of Shawna,
Our sincerest condolences for your loss. We know your pain as we also have suffered the loss of a precious life in this battle for freedom. Shawna is a true American hero and will always be remembered for her bravery and sacrifice she gave to our country. May God bless you during this difficult time.”
The McClain family–azquail@att.nett of Tucson, AZ
“To Shawna’s Family:
There are no words to express the sorrow we feel for your loss. May God bless you and help you through this time.”
Dan and Meg Manninen of San Antonio, Texas
“Shawna was one of roommates for two years while we were both in college, and both in the Army National Guard. Her goals in life, and her dedication to her country were commendable to say the least – she was proud of her accomplishments and rightfully so. I’ve always admired her eternal optimism and dogged determination to accomplish anything she put her mind to – she had so many dreams and toiled tirelessly to make them come true. Shawna’s passing has affected me in countless ways – I will never forget the life she has sacrificed for the benefit of others – all of her hopes and plans and hard work have been given up in efforts to change the world for the better. I will take comfort in my memories of her laughter, her aspirations and her pioneering spirit – a part of her will remain in my heart forever. Shawna, you are my hero.”
SFC Warren Window of Chicago, IL
“Thank you brave soldier for sacrificing your today for my children’s safer tomorrow. You have our utmost respect and gratitude. May God provide your family with comfort in their time of sorrow. May you forever rest in Heavenly peace. Neither you nor your sacrifice will be forgotten. May time provide family and friends happy loving memories in place of present sorrows. In the infinite meadows of Heaven the bright shining stars bloom….the forget-me-nots of angels. God bless you and thank you.”
a grateful family in Phoenix, AZ
“Thank you Shawna Morrison, you will not be forgotten. Your bravery goes beyond words. I want to express my deepest gratitude for your sacrifice. To the family and friends, my prayers and deep condolences in your loss. May God strengthen you from knowing that fellow Americans and people around the world care about you and grieve with you in your loss. God bless you all. A very appreciative fellow American,”
Leo Titus of Grayslake, Illinios
“To the family and friends of Sgt. Shawna Morrison:
May God’s grace be with you during your time of grief. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and we feel your loss and share in your sorrow. Bless Shawna for the sacrifice she has made to make a better life for the rest of us.”
The Ford Family of Wells, Nevada
“To the family and friends of Sgt. Shawna Morrison:
I am saddened by the loss of your loved one. She will always be remembered as a hero for fighting for freedom. I hope that this website will be a source of comfort and encouragement for you during this difficult time, and in the future as you recall the memories of Shawna, who continues to live on in your heart.”
Tim Rivera of Powder Springs, Georgia
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