A Tribute to Lt. Col. Shawn M. Pine

As we look forward to celebrating Memorial Day, as we pay honor and respect to the millions of men and women who served our country well, particularly those multiple thousands who fought and died in our country's battles, on the eve of this holiday, I would just like to pay tribute to a certain serviceman who died last Wednesday from a bomb blast in Afghanistan.



His name was Lt. Col. Shawn M. Pine (also, unfortunately, a female Air Force Lt. by the name of Roslyn L. Shulte perished with Col. Pine as well), age 51, a local Army Reserve soldier from here in San Antonio, Tx. He worked in intelligence. I did not know him personally. Did not even know anything about him until I heard about his life-ending tragedy. In yesterday's San Antonio Express-News, I read the article about him and his illuminating life. I will use that article's information to pay him tribute.



At the time of his death, he was working as a consultant for a private company in Va. Although his trade was in intelligence, (in fact, his resume ran the gamut of serving with the Israeli Golani Brigade, being a Hebrew linguist, and being part of the search for weapons of mass destruction), his fellow soldiers and family knew him as a "crusader for the underdog."



A few of the things he was known for:



He once got a group of soldiers to pitch in to pay for a funeral.

He made sure a foreign national got life-saving surgery.

His daughter remembered as a little girl when seeing a man begging for food for his himself and his children, that instead of handing out money, Col. Pine went to a grocery store to buy the food so "that way we would make sure the kids got fed," as she remembered it.



A fitting or summary quote from retired Army 1st Sgt. Rex Pierce goes, "He was the best commander I've ever served with, and I mean served with--not served for. He always put the soldier first, always. He had a rare quality of taking care of soldiers to the point where they wanted to serve." Sgt. Pierce added that if a soldier had financial trouble, if going through the regular Army channels did not serve the purpose, then Col. Pine would quietly make loans to his own troops--not expecting to get the money back.

Finally, in what may have been his last act of charity, Pine asked his daughter Rachel Pyeatt to send a "care package" of baby clothes to Afghanistan. The clothes were for an interpreter who was going to be a dad; and even though he was killed before the package arrived, some other officers there made sure the interpreter got the clothes for his baby.

I surely do use the word "finally" because I'm sure this is only a synopsis of what this special man did. And I'm sure Col. Pine was not seeking any type of recognition for his acts of compassion, his acts of leadership. A man such as he does not care about any of that. Men and women such as him only want to make this world a better place for all our progeny to live. Some accomplish more than others depending upon their abilities and resources. . . and that's okay. They are shining examples of doing the best you can when you can.

When these special men and women also get to serve in the U.S. armed forces, it makes it all that remarkable because these people do not get much compensation for their services. In fact, unfortunately, many times they are detested for their oft sacrifices.

So I salute you Lt. Col. Pine. I salute you and thank you for your bravery. Along with him, I would like to salute my own father, Daniel Garcia, Sr. who served in the U.S. Air Force for twenty-five years and retired a Senior Master Sergeant. I cannot leave out my older brother, Joe Maldonado, who served in the Marine Corp and also retired a Senior Master Sergeant. To all of you. . . a salute.


Again, my information came from the Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 edition of the San Antonio Express-News.