Robin’s oldest son John is still at Fort Bragg attached to Special Forces. He has learned the Tagalog language. The ethnic Tagalog are 28 percent of the population of the Philippines and the largest ethnic group there. Zoe Grace Langdon was born on April 3^rd this year, shortly after his unit of Green Berets left for the Philippines. Zoe’s impending birth prevented him from going with them. Otherwise he would be on the southern island of Jolo right now.

The population of the Philippines is 81 percent Catholic who mostly live on the two big islands of Luzon (where Manila is) and Mindanao. The 5 percent who are Muslim live in the south where kidnapping and piracy have been chronic international problems.

Jolo is the biggest island in the Sulu Archipelago which lies between Mindanao and Borneo. When USN Admiral George Dewey invaded the Spanish Philippines 110 years ago, he entered into a treaty with the Sultan of Sulu recognizing the continuing independence of Sulu in exchange for the assistance of the sultanate’s troops in defeating the Spanish in the Philippines.

The Congress later repudiated that treaty. The US invaded the Sultanate of Sulu resulting in its inclusion in the American-occupied Philippines. There has been fierce resistance, intermittently, ever since. Most recently, in February, 2005, Philippine troops clashed with 800 Islamist militants of the Abu Sayyaf group and that fighting has continued to the present. Abu Sayyaf killed an American Marine with a nail-laden motorcycle bomb in October, 2002.

The American Commonwealth of the Philippines was attacked at the same time as Pearl Harbor. We ultimately pushed the Japanese out of the Philippines and on the Fourth of July, 1946 we granted the Philippines complete independence. Their constitution precludes the presence of foreign troops on their soil so American advisers (Green Berets) are there in only small numbers. Currently we have about 600 troops in the Philippines, mostly in southern Mindanao.

At the time of the Martinek mission, typhoon Ondoy was wrecking Manila. The Philippine military is fully occupied with Ondoy relief. A few days after the Martinek mission, just a few days ago, two American Special Forces soldiers and a Filipino Marine were traveling by HMMWV in Jolo to a school construction site. They were part of a humanitarian mission that would have Seebees build a clinic there.

photo from philstar (AP)

The IED could not have been triggered by a cell phone because there is no signal in that area. Nor was it triggered by a spotter because there was no follow-on fire. Must have been a pressure switch. SFC Christopher D. Shaw of Markham died.

Statement from USASOC Sept. 29^th:

(United States Army, Special Operations Command)

Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines

Sgt. 1st Class Christopher D. Shaw, 37, of Natchez, Miss. died after his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device Sept. 29, 2009 on Jolo Island, Philippines.

Shaw was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Lewis, Wash. and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines. This was his second deployment in support of OEF.

Shaw enlisted in the U.S. Army reserve Nov. 22, 1994 while attending Texas Southern University in Houston on a track and field scholarship. In May 1995, he decided to put his education on hold and joined the active-duty Army as a forward observer.

Upon completion of basic training, advanced individual training, and the U.S. Army Airborne School, Shaw was assigned as a fire support specialist to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, Wash.

In 1997, Shaw volunteered for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection course and completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in March 1999.

Shaw was then assigned to 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Lewis, Wash.

He later served as an instructor at the Special Forces Qualification Course at Camp Mackall, N.C. and subsequently returned to 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Lewis, Wash.

Shaw’s military education includes the U.S. Army Airborne School, U.S. Army Ranger Course, U.S. Army Jumpmaster Course, Basic Instructor Training Course, Advanced Non-commissioned Officer Course, Basic Non-commissioned Officer Course, Warrior Leader Course, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, Combat Lifesaver Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course and the Special Forces Qualification Course.

Shaw’s awards and decorations include Meritorious Service Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medals, Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Meritorious Unit Citation and the Philippine Presidential Unit citation. Shaw earned the Special Forces tab, Ranger tab and the Parachutist Badge.

He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

Shaw holds a Bachelor of Science degree in history from Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, N.J.

Shaw is survived by his wife Attina and their children Darian Shaw, Erielle Smith, Jalyn Smith, Dante Shaw and Cydney Shaw of Fort Lewis, Wash. He is also survived by his mother and step-father Camille and Willie Felton of Chicago, Ill.; his father Walter Owens of Port Wentworth, Ga.; two brothers, Orlando Shaw of Chicago, Ill. and Maurey Owens of Jackson, Miss.; and two sisters Kenya Shaw of Chicago, Ill. and Gwen Owens of Atlanta, Ga.

Statement of his family Oct. 1^st:

On Sept. 29th we lost a husband, father, son, brother and uncle. We would like to thank everyone for their support during this most difficult and trying time. We appreciate the condolences, prayers and acts of kindness that we have received.

Chris was a man who deeply loved his family and believed that he was making a difference in the fight against terror.

Our family will not grant any media interviews and asks that our privacy be respected.

Two excerpts from Chicago Sun-Times article Oct 3^rd:

Shaw's mother, Camille Felton, gasped for breath as she remembered her oldest son. "He was the best God could have put out here," Felton said.

Felton described her son as a respectful man who enjoyed sports and motorcycles, but whose commitment to family was paramount.

An excerpt from the SouthTown Star Oct 3^rd:

When he was younger, Shaw would come up from Mississippi regularly to visit his mother and family in Chicago and Markham, said Shaw's stepfather, Willie Felton. Shaw's grandmother Earnestine Shaw helped raise him, he said.

"That was her baby," Willie Felton said.

Seeing the strong, disciplined man he became was a strong source of pride for his stepfather.

"He was a nice, good kid," he said. "He didn't do anybody any harm."

Shaw shared a special relationship with his uncle Charlie Bacon, of Markham, with whom he lived for a short time.

"He was like my own son," Bacon said Friday, fighting back stinging tears.

During his visits, Shaw worked at his uncle's carpeting company, making people laugh at family barbecues and talking about the Bears and Bulls.

Serving in the Philippines, as opposed to Iraq or Afghanistan, provided the family with some comfort.

"You see families losing loved ones in the service on the news all the time, and my heart goes out to them," Bacon said. "When it hits at home, that's when it really hurts."

"All those times he talked about jumping out of planes, and this happens to him on the ground," Bacon added.

Oct 12^th: His PGR forum was moved from “pending” directly to “archived” this morning.

Then suddenly this:

13 Oct 2009 2:12 PM

confirmed mission  SFC Christopher D. Shaw (active Duty), Natchez, MS, October 14th

This is a very short notice mission for  SFC Christopher D. Shaw . His family has requested our presence tomorrow, October 14th at the Natchez Convention Center, 640 Canal St., Natchez, MS.

Services begin at 11am and escort to the Natchez National Cemetery, 41 Cemetery Rd., Natchez, MS after the services.

At this time there is no RC for this mission and I can only ask that if you can make this mission show up one hour prior (10am) and please bring a flag if possible to assist in standing a flag line at the entrance.

Ed Baker, MS SC 228 437 0667

Funeral Home name:    Marshall Funeral Home, 2555 Hwy 184 Bude, MS (601) 384 2732

Oct 15, early morning: “A private memorial service was conducted at the Natchez Convention Center Wednesday morning, and he was buried at the National Cemetery following a closed military service there.”

Jan 21.

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