DIXON, CA, USA U.S. Army SGT, COMPANY A, 3D BATTALION, 509TH INFANTRY, 4 BCT, FORT RICHARDSON, AK OWASET, IRAQ 07/22/2007
Army Sgt. Shawn G. Adams was a soldier focused on his goals and resolute in doing his duty in Iraq, whatever the danger, according to his family.
“He believed in what he was doing – he believed in fulfilling his commitment,” said Adams’ stepfather, Robert Gillis.
Adams, 21, of Dixon died July 22 from wounds sustained when a roadside bomb exploded while he was on patrol in Owaset, Iraq, according to the Defense Department.
He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Adams entered Army Ranger school at 19 and became a paratrooper, earning a promotion to sergeant after a few short years. The former varsity football player did not tell his family much about his missions, but they knew his work came with risks.
“He wouldn’t tell us what he was doing. But he was basically a door-kicker, looking for insurgents,” Gillis said.
An explosion on New Year’s Eve left shrapnel in Adams’ leg, but he stayed and continued fighting. He had been scheduled to return home in December.
Adams met his wife, Wilhelmina, in Anchorage, Alaska, where he was stationed. He is survived by his wife; stepfather and mother of Dixon; father and stepmother of Vacaville; and three younger sisters.