“Please don’t over-glorify anything I’ve done,” said Shane Reed, a veteran of 10 years with the United States Marine Corps who eventually became the leader of a sniper platoon and also did some work for some private security firms overseas. “I’m just a redneck who knows how to shoot a rifle.”
Sorry Mr. Reed, but that was quite possibly the understatement of the year.
To listen to Reed tell some of his stories, and the “matter of fact” way he does it makes one want to spend a few hours with him over a couple of beers. His service for our country has taken him to some of the far reaches of the globe such as Afghanistan, Iraq, South America, and Africa.
After being the featured guest of the Crowley Kiwanis Club luncheon last Thursday, Harold Gonzales, the General Manager of the Post-Signal, came in saying that this guy was one of the most interesting speakers he had ever heard during the club’s weekly luncheon. After spending a few minutes speaking with him during a phone interview, it became apparent that Harold was correct.
It was obvious that if one were to listen to all of the stories of his experiences in some of the most dangerous parts of the world it may take up an entire afternoon. However, some of his stories, which he relays with a calmness and a sense of humor that make him seem instantly likable, are so incredible that it becomes apparent that you begin to realize that you are talking to an American hero.
For example there was the time he was in Chechnya, and one of his squad members was killed.
“A National Guardsman from Pennsylvania was killed and we basically had no idea where the shot came from,” said Reed.
“We were wearing night vision goggles which can pick up a flash of light from over a mile away,” he continued. “We continued our search for the shooter when I noticed a man who lit a cigarette probably over a mile away. You know how they say smoking can kill you right? We fired a few shots his way, I’d say probably about 10,000 to 15,000 rounds, and we got him.”
“Let’s just say I think he was a little bit heavier when we went to pick him up,” he said with a chuckle.
Another amazing story came from when he was deployed to Afghanistan where he arrived eight days after September 11, 2001.
“We were walking in a small valley between some mountains and I had point,” said Reed, who at that point was a Marine Sniper Platoon Commander. “We had our night vision goggles again and suddenly . . . . well, the best way I can describe it is that the mountains looked like they actually became alive due to all of the movement around us.”
“We backtracked slowly and found that there were two sentries that were standing guard and we took them out,” he said. “Then I called in an airstrike.”
The airstrike Reed called in was responsible for the deaths of over 3,000 enemy soldiers.
Now days Reed lives a much simpler life. However, it didn’t come as easy as he thought it would.
“I will always remember the day August 9, 2006,” he said. “That’s when my service to my country ended and I got to come home. I had thought that after all I had been through that civilian life would come much easier but that wasn’t exactly the case.”
Reed said that even though he was highly educated and had served his country with honor, that he had a hard time finding a job.
“I don’t know if it was because I was in the service and away for so long but it got to be quite frustrating,” he said.
He was finally hired by Frank’s Casing Crew out of Broussard. To say that they hired a loyal employee is another understatement.
“They could bust me down to minimum wage and make me mop the floors and I still wouldn’t leave,” he said. “They gave me a shot when no one else would.”
When reflecting upon his military career there was one thing he wanted to place great emphasis on.
“The real warriors are still over there fighting. The young men who are facing life and death situations on a daily basis,” said Reed. “They deserve all the glory they receive - a lot more so than me.”
So the man who has been to several countries and continents in defense of our country is not only a highly decorated soldier with an unbelievable service record, but a humble man as well.
However, there are obviously many that may disagree with the “redneck who can shoot a rifle.”
http://www.crowleytoday.com/content/louisiana-soldier-recalls-10-years-marine
The article, comments and photo of Shane have since been pulled from the paper. The comments suggested that Mr. Reed is also AWOL. Tsk Tsk.
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I dont know if Shane Reed is AWOL, but he is FULL OF SHIT!!!.. The paper pulled the story from thier website due to the fact that other individuals who actually "served" with Shane (playing video games) on thier last deployment wrote, called, and VISITED the editor to let him know how much full of shit Shane Reed was..
Buddy of mine is one who knows this Shane Reed personally. You can check out the "blogosphere" of this guy by googling his name..
I do actually know Shane Reed personally and he is absolutely NOT AWOL. The person who started that rumor called the newspaper and gave a fictitious name to report that information and was told that Shane was at his job in Broussard, and how could a small town newspaper find an AWOL soldier when the Louisiana National Guard couldn't. True, the newspaper has received emails, however, noone has VISITED them. This story came about after Shane was invited to speak in front of 20-25 businessmen about his experiences in the Marines. He also did a slide presentation with VIDEOS of some of his experiences (that did include alot of shooting). Now, I don't have military experience, training, etc..., but an ARMY GENERAL has been in contact with the newspaper and DID NOT dispute their story.
I don't know any of the facts behind Mr. Reed or his service. Perhaps he is giving us all the straight dope.
Let's start with an analysis of the first story. No military background is needed for this to confound. One of his squad is apparently killed by a single shot from an enemy combatant more than a mile distant. The combatant is apparently a crack shot but a tactical idiot and is given away by his cigarette. It takes a squad 10-15,000 rounds of ammunition to neutralize the threat.
How did the combatant spot and shoot the moving squad member with a single bullet in the dark while only being visible himself due to a cigarette?
If you know anything about man-portable NVG you know that picking up the light of a cigarette at that range is farcical. The volume of fire claimed is also unreal. 10,000 rounds of .223 is 270 pounds of ammunition. Sit down with some 30 round magazines and load 10,000 rounds and let me know how long that takes you.
That's the light stuff, too. If they used the M2 .50 it'd be about 3,500 pounds of ammunition and would take a single M2 about 100 minutes to fire not counting reload time.
Next... 8 days after September 11? Was he serving with the DevGru or Delta? If he was in the 'Stan 8 days after September 11th, that's classified information. Somehow, I doubt this imporbable claim as well.
Interesting how nobody heard stateside of the killing of 3,000 enemy in one blow. A quick wiki search reveals no matching reports of thousands of insurgent casualties in a single day. The most reported killed in a single year was approximately 6,600 in 2001. A single strike creating 3,000 dead bodies is certainly newsworthy. Shane's account is the first I've heard of it. Sniper Platoon Commander walking point? Really.... come on now....
Someone with the skill and experience to to be among the first boots on ground in Afghanistan, one of the very few American soldiers in Chechnya and the most lethal man in Afghanistan is a giant among men, indeed.
Maybe it's all true. Does not pass the smell test to me. Think critically and come to your own conclusions.
There were errors written in the story. What Shane did say was that they say 30 not 3,000. He did say that if there were 3,000, he imagined that after the air strike, there were now 6,000. Just a little sarcasm. He never said that he was in Chechnya. He said that there Chechnyan groups that were there.
jeffmeche@aol.com First of all i am very close freinds w Shane,i was with him during the kiwanas club meeting,not once did he brag about his experiences or try to glorify anything he did, he actually went out of his way to commend the wonderfull MARINES he served with during his tours .The numbnuts who wrote the article wasnt even at the meeting and misquoted his statements to make for a good read but at the expense of making Shane look like a liar and no integrity.I to served in the USMC for 4 years as a rescue swimmer flying many missions in which my life was on the line ,i guess everyone can sit back behind a comp board and call me a liar also without knowing the actual facts about what was said.I just left the Crowley Post Signal and had a very interesting conversation with the so he calls himself journalist MR . HOWIE ,i asked him when did he say that he had killed 3000 enemy soldiers,because i recall him saying that there were reports of 3000 enemy soldiers in the area,he pumped up the story at shanes expense and now he admits to me that maybe he misquoted Shane.In reference to the sniper with the cigarette he was joking about 10,000 rounds,but i do have the video just to let people know,it amazes me how everyone is so quick to try to discredit someone when they really are going off an article from an imbecile who wouldnt know a HUMVEE FROM A TANK and then trying to cover his own sorry ass inaccurate article by blaming it on a fellow DEVIL DOG who never said such things.Me and my freinds picked at Shane after the article first came out because of how incorrect the reporters accounts were,we never imagined the amount of negative feedback that people have given simply due to a reporters quest for a good read at his expense.In all the years that Shane has been freinds with us he has never been one to brag,boast are pump up stories to make himself look heroic ,its just the opposite,I AM PROUD TO CALL HIM MY FREIND AND STAND TO DEFEND HIS HONOR WHICH IS BEING BROUGHT INTO QUESTION BECAUSE OF AN IDIOT REPORTER WHO PUMPED UP HIS OWN ARTICLE,THE INTEGRITY IN QUESTION IS OF MR HOWIE,GET UR FACTS CORRECT BEFORE YOU WRITE AN ARTICLE,BECAUSE U WROTE YOUR OWN NOVEL AND GOT CAUGHT UP IN YOUR OUW MOMENT,DO US ALL A FAVOR AND FIND ANOTHER PROFESSION BECAUSE THIS ONES ABOUT TO GET VERY INTERSTING ,JEFF MECHE USMC
The plot thickens!
From Greg Arceneaux
CW2, US ARMY
I too would like to comment on this "Charlie Foxtrot" that Mr. Howie has created. I to am close friends with Shane and know this man well. He has never tried to embelish his service or bragged about what he has done. In fact he is probably the most humble Marine I have ever befriended. He never was AWOL, because I have seen his DD214, better know as his service record. He also became a recruiter in the Louisiana Nationl Guard. Had he been AWOL, he would not have an Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corps, nor would he have been able to join the National Guard without someone knowing he was previously AWOL. So WHOEVER said that he is fact AWOL, is full of shit. Oh yeah, he has also been a City Marshell for the City of Lafayette. And last I checked, to get into law enforcement, there is a pretty good background check. (Dishonorable discharges need not apply.)
The initial backlash is understandable towards Shane because the way the article was written, he certainly would seem like a poser to anyone with military experience. I urge you all who don't know him, to please not judge him based on the mis-quotes of this disingenuous reporter.
Yeah Yeah Mr Howie, the plot thickens as you say. I don't think you know how much backlash YOU are going to recieve from this. Many of the people of Rayne, Crowley, and Lafayette that know Shane personally are not happy with you.
Last, to all that rip Shane on this blog, you should at least have the balls to put you name down instead of "anonymous."
CW2 Gregory Arceneaux
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=781445
Jeff Meche tries too fucking hard.
Dear JEFF,
I'm not allowing publication of any comments threatening violence on my blog. Don't waste your keystrokes.
JEFF,
1) Your Caps Lock button appears to be broken. May I suggest a new keyboard?
2) I'm not going publish your name-calling and promises to put your your appendages in other people's bodily cavities
3) Be thankful I don't publish your latest comments because you come off as a total neaderthal. The irony is thick in your suggestion that others reading this are illiterate.
4)Those that want to read Howell Dennis' carping and finger pointing can simply scroll up and read my May 5, 2009 posting which contains the text in its entirety.
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