PFC Shane R. Austin, 19, U.S. Army, born in Kansas December 31, 1986, was killed
in action on October 8, 2006. Austin was an M1 Armor Crewman with 1st Battalion,
35th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armor Division, and
deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom. While on patrol, an insurgent threw a
grenade into the hatch of his tank. Without hesitating, Austin grabbed it, but it
went off before he could throw it back. Austin earned a Purple Heart, the Bronze
Star, and has a highway and a post office named in his honor. Rest easy, Hero! Til
Valhalla, Brother!