Shawn Matthew Murphy
Army SPC
From: Butte, Silver Bow County
Date of Death: 12/10/2006
Conflict: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Specialist Shawn M. Murphy, 24, passed away on December 10th, when the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), commonly known as a Humvee, he was travelling in was destroyed by an improvised explosive device (IED) during a late night combat patrol in Baghdad, Iraq. Shawn was the eldest son of Mark and Tania (Schultz) Murphy, who previously resided in Butte. He was born on November 24th, 1982, and was a graduate of York High School in Yorktown, Virginia. Later on, he served as a missionary for two years in Uganda and Kenya for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, returning in 2004. Following his mission, he studied Criminology at Fayetteville Technical Community College before enlisting in the Army in March 2005. At the time of his passing, he was a paratrooper serving in the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment based at Fort Richardson, Alaska. Shawn was a champion wrestler, an ardent patriot, a devoted brother, and a beloved son.
