Marine Sgt. Derek L. Shanfield, 22, of Hastings, Pa.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died June 8 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. Also killed was Sgt. Zachary J. Walters."SGT. DEREK L. SHANFIELD'S HEART WAS SET ON SERVICE”
Remembered as a loving son and driven honors student who could have accomplished whatever he put his mind to in life, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2005 and quickly rose through the ranks.
And on Tuesday, the 22-year-old Hastings man died a proud Marine, fighting in Afghanistan for the country he loved, his family said.
"He always knew what he wanted," his mother, Pam, said Thursday, holding back tears on the front porch of her Hastings home - and with her sons and husband close beside.
The youngest of five children - three of them Marines - it was often Derek who helped the family get through tough times, she added.
"When his brother [Sydney] left for Iraq, he was there to make me smile," she said, recalling her son playfully mimicking his older brother's habits in the house. "I remember him telling me, 'It's so you don't miss him, Mom.'"
Promoted to sergeant two months ago, Derek Shanfield was deployed to Afghanistan in late May. He was attached to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
A squad leader, he was part of a small advance party that was laying the groundwork for his infantry unit to take over for a group that was finishing its Afghan tour, said his twin brother, Cpl. Devin Shanfield.
"Their job was to go over, meet the group they were replacing, get a grasp for the area and meet people ahead of time," he said.
Tuesday was Shanfield's first day on patrol in the country's war-torn Helmand province, his father, David, said.
The family knows little more and has not yet read the preliminary report on the incident, he said.
Marine officials said Shanfield died as the result of a hostile incident while supporting combat operations in the province.
Shanfield was serving in one of the most violent sections of a country that has seen an increasing amount of violence in recent weeks with roadside bomb attacks a common threat.
It's an environment his oldest brother, Sydney, was familiar with. The Marine sergeant joined the Corps nearly a decade ago and served three tours in Iraq.
Twins Derek and Devin knew they wanted to follow in his footsteps by the time high school arrived - even as track and other sports kept them busy, Devin said.
Despite a more than 6-inch height difference - Derek was nearly 6 feet 5 inches tall and stood over his twin - the pair were much alike, he said.
During boot camp, drill sergeants jokingly dubbed them "Little" and "Big" Shanfield because their similar names and sprint times were always only a second or two apart.
"We liked to joke around. We made a game out of everything," Devin said, showing a rare smile behind dark sunglasses. "And when high school came, we enlisted in the buddy program together in 2005. We went through boot camp together, training secondary school - everything."
Left to Right: Derek, Sydney and Devin Shanfield all Marine Corps members."Derek was a top-flight kid," said Cambria Heights High School Principal Tim Laurito, recalling him as "a leader" among students. Laurito, who has been principal at the high school for 16 years, recalled Shanfield as a student who was both a good athlete and an excellent scholar. “Derek was 15 out of 126 in his class,” Laurito said. “He was a very strong student and was in the National Honor Society. He took the college credit classes and had the grades and aptitude to do whatever he wanted."
The principal said the Shanfield twins were active in track, cross country, swimming and soccer. “You name it, they did it. They were leaders.”
Laurito said many of the school’s alumni are serving in the armed forces. “We found out last night before graduation [that Derek had been killed], and our superintendent offered a moment of silence for all our kids in the military. We’re very proud that they are serving their country.” But the school leader could not get over the loss of one so young and so talented.
"He felt very strongly about what he was doing - very strongly about the cause - and paid the ultimate price for his country," he said.
The family was able to gather one last time in Hastings last month before Derek was quickly deployed to Afghanistan. His unit was shipped off ahead of schedule, canceling a planned weekend in California together, his brothers said.
"That was the last we saw him," his father added, moments before they were briefly interrupted by a friend who came to drop off flowers and condolences.
Neighborhood support has been comforting, the family said. There's also the understanding Derek died serving his country - a point of pride. Still, it doesn't make it easier, his mother said.
"This is something you never prepare for, you don't even think about it," she said. "You just wait for them to come home. I always just figured.”
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