Feature Story
Brother's Sacrifice Inspires Employee's Call to Action
Microsoft employee Dan Shea lost his older brother and hero when Kevin Shea was killed by a rocket attack in Iraq. Five years later, Dan Shea is speaking out on behalf of those affected by war and raising awareness and money for families of wounded soldiers and veterans.
REDMOND, Wash. – Oct. 15, 2009 – Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Shea didn't have to stay in Fallujah, but he wouldn't leave his men.
It was the summer of 2004, and Shea had to set up a new communications system for his regiment of U.S. Marines as they moved into Iraq's dangerous Al Anbar province. When his tour of duty came to an end that summer, Shea was free to return to his family in California. However, a communications officer had not yet arrived to replace him.
In an e-mail to his younger brother, Dan, now a Microsoft employee relations investigator, Shea wrote: "Leading these young Marines in combat is something I will never forget. They have been magnificent. I cannot say enough about them. They are America's best. I cannot let anything happen to them."
As much as Kevin Shea wanted to return home safely, he wanted the same for his men. So the regimental communications officer for the 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Expedition Force decided to stay at Camp Fallujah until his replacement arrived.
In an e-mail to his younger brother in early September 2004, Shea reflected on the challenge of his mission. "I'd have to say that I'm ready to come home....just 2 more months," Shea wrote. "This whole experience has left a mark on me. I certainly know what is important to me and what I want out of life. Bullets, mortars, rockets, and RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades] certainly add a great clarity to your life."
