27JUN2010: Serving as a squad leader with C/2-327IN, SSG Eric Shaw and his men stepped out of FOB Joyce early in the morning kicking off Operation Strong Eagle. With a goal of disrupting insurgent activity in the Ghaki valley, Shaw and his men were assisting the Afghan forces in what would be the clearance of a village called Daridam. Moving on foot with a line of vehicles a distance behind them, SSG Shaw and his men moved into the deadly valley with their Afghan partners. The Ghaki was known to be an enemy stronghold with estimated enemy fighters numbering in the hundreds. As expected, as they neared the outskirts of the city, the Taliban opened fire. The initial volley of small arms and RPGs seriously wounded one Afghan Soldier while Shaw and his men sprang into action. As they sat in the open, Shaw directed his men to move back to the cover of the armored vehicles and ran forward, under fire, to pass directions to his Afghan partners. As enemy fire intensified, Shaw and his squad regrouped behind the relative cover of the vehicles when he noticed that some of the Afghans were still caught in the open. This handful of Afghan soldiers were caught in the open and taking fire from multiple sides, confused and not knowing where to go. Without hesitation, Shaw jumped up in an effort to move through the wall of enemy fire to rescue the cut off Afghan platoon. During this act, SSG Eric Shaw was hit and killed by enemy fire but his valiant effort saved the lives of that cut off Afghan platoon. For his heroic act that day, SSG Eric Shaw would be awarded, posthumously, the Distinguished Service Cross, the first in the 101st Airborne Division since the Vietnam war.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related