Welcome home Shane.  Thank you for your service.  Words alone cannot describe the humble gratitude and pride that I feel for you and the  personal sacrafices you have made and the suffering of the sever injuries you have endured while defending our nations freedom and our way of life in the Global War on Terrorism in Iraq.  God Bless you.

Shane’s Story

Another Soldier Still Fighting

John Curran State Captain Patriot Guard Riders - Wisconsin

We have just begun to be part of a story.  The Patriot Guard Riders have a program called Help On The Homefront to assist active military, returning heroes, and our veterans.  While we Americans are kept aware of a small part of those who gave their lives defending our freedom, we are seldom told of those who gave so much yet don’t make the front page or the evening news.  We were recently contacted regarding the amazing young man you will read about shortly.  Please remember this is not about us, it’s about Shane and all we owe him.

SPC Shane Nault is soon to be SGT Shane Nault.  He is being released from the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis on April 19th, coming home to his family in Wisconsin.  A few of our members in Wisconsin and Minnesota have had the pleasure of meeting Shane and we hope you’ll join us in welcoming him home.   His family is looking forward to him finally being able to be home with them.  It will be a full time job but if you take the time to learn about Shane and his family you will see that this is a gift of love.  Here is Shane’s story, adapted with permission from his web site (listed below).

Like so many of our heroes, Shane joined the Army in 2005 right after graduation from Memorial High School in Eau Claire, WI. He went through basic and AIT training at Fort Knox, KY. He graduated in December 2005 and was stationed with the 2nd of the 12th CAV at Fort Bliss, TX. Shane's main job was as an armor crewman. Shane also was trained as a sniper and had training in flying drones. He is considered by his NCOs, officers and fellow enlisted men as a leader and role model.

Shane was deployed to Iraq in November, 2006. His unit was involved in numerous confrontations with the enemy.  Still new to the deployment, Shane’s tank was damaged by an IED (improvised explosive device). A few weeks later another IED was detonated next to the vehicle which sent him to the floor of the turret of his tank. At this time he had injuries to his hearing.

Shane came home for R&R in February of 2007 and visited family and friends. He returned to Iraq and again his unit faced numerous battles. Another IED destroyed the Humvee that he was riding in which caused bleeding from both ears and the loss of 60% of his hearing. Shane could have stayed behind but felt that his place was with his unit.

On May 8, 2007 his unit was on patrol and another IED exploded but this time Shane's luck had run out and he was critically injured. Fellow soldiers came to his aid and with no time to wait for a helicopter they took it upon themselves to get him quickly and safely to the Green Zone for further medical attention. He was then flown to Germany where his injuries were further evaluated. Shane suffered a stroke in flight from Iraq to Germany. He was initially left to die with only comfort measures because they felt his injuries were too severe.  A nurse got a response out of him and insisted that they try to save him.  At this time it was discovered that Shane had two shrapnel wounds to the head which had entered at the left temple, went through the frontal lobe and exited just above the right temple. Surgeons removed the front and sides of his skull due to the massive swelling of his brain. He was then transferred to Bethesda National Naval Medical Center in Maryland. All the bones in Shane's face were broken including his eye sockets, cheek bones, sinuses, nasal bones, and upper jaw. After a CT scan doctors placed two monitors on Shane's brain. One of these caused bleeding and Shane had to be rushed into surgery. The surgery was successful in stopping the bleeding but later that day another CT scan was done and a clot was seen in his cerebral artery which leads to the brain. They had to clamp this artery, but it was okay due to the fact that the other two arteries to the brain were intact and working well. He has lost his sight, much of the frontal lobe of his brain and a good portion of the left brain. 

The only prognosis at this point that is for certain is that Shane has lost the sight in his left eye when the optic nerve was severed by the entry of the shrapnel.  Shane has suffered many cognitive disabilities along with his loss of sight.  He has no use of his right arm and only partial use of his right leg.  He can speak only some words such as, yea, no, I don't know, I love you, hi, bye.  He has come a remarkable distance for the type of injury he has.  The doctors in Bethesda say he is a true miracle.  He is still to date the worst injury they have ever had where someone has survived and yet he has come further than some with less of an injury.  He is a remarkable young man, so his family had no doubt he could do this.

He has just started eating soft foods again after 10 months (he had been on tube feeding all this time).  He has suffered quite a few seizures but they are hoping that is under control now.  Shane's face, along with half of his skull, are made of titanium.  The only part of his face that was intact was his lower jaw and remarkably all of his teeth.  He has some hearing loss but is able to hear okay, this seems to be improving.  He still can smile and laugh, it just might take him longer to comprehend things.  His family is confident he can have a good life and they look forward to spending that with him.

Consider this an open invitation to all our American Brothers and Sisters who want to show this fine young man that he is a Great American Hero.  Read his latest updates at:

www.caringbridge.org/visit/spcshanenault

You can also send cards or encouragement to Shane and his Dad Mike, Mom Lori and Shane’s sisters, Courtney and Amanda.

Their home address is,

Shane Nault

S8725 County Line Rd.

Mondovi, WI  54755

Welcome Home!!

Thank you for your service to our country.