thedrifter
05-17-07, 07:37 AM
Hero to Felon -- A Soldier's Story, Part 1
Last Update: May 17, 2007 8:14 AM
Kyle Clark (Caledonia, N.Y.) -- Marine Corps Sergeant Shawn Gianforte, 32, went from being Caledonia's hometown hero to being a convicted felon for a crime he claims he can't remember.
Gail Gianforte has spent years writing to her son in uniform far from home. But Gianforte's uniform has changed, he is now a prisoner in a Virginia jail.
She says before he was a sergeant, he was Shawn. His sights were set on the service. He joined the Marines just before graduating from Cal-Mum High School in 1994.
Shawn married his high school sweetheart, and went where his country asked: two tours in Iraq, the battle of Fallujah.
Gianforte recalled house-to-house fighting as the Marines methodically cleared the city of insurgents.
"It's a constant violence… You break the threshold of the front door... You don't know what's gonna be waiting on the other side," he said.
Gianforte came home to Caledonia a decorated hero. He spent a few precious weeks with his wife and daughter Zoie before attending military school in Virginia to train as an interrogator with plans of returning to Iraq.
Just a few days before he was due to graduate near the top of his class, Gianforte went to the oceanfront strip of Virginia Beach drinking with some Marine buddies.
He woke up the next morning in a jail cell on the way to losing his career, his family, and his freedom.
"Something happened that night and I don't know what it was," Gianforte said.
A few blocks from the oceanfront, Gianforte and Marine Sgt. Jerome Fenner stormed the front door of a house. They burst in, screaming at Dan Shain and his wife Debbie, "We're the police -- you're terrorists ...you're going to die tonight!"
Gianforte beat Dan Shain until police SWAT teams burst in and subdued him.
On April 10, 2007 Gianforte was sentenced to two years in prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution and get counseling.
He has steadfastly maintained he doesn't remember what happened that night. Nevertheless, presented with the evidence, he pleaded guilty to assault.
"I don't know how I got there. I don't know why… I really don't see how I can dispute what happened," he said.
The situation is similar to what he remembers doing in Fallujah, with one major exception – his target.
"I'm extremely sorry for what I did to them. I'm here to defend my country and take part in a war on terrorism and then, unfortunately, I go and terrorize an American couple in their own home," he said.
His mother thinks his drinking triggered something serious combat stress or post traumatic stress disorder.
"Shawn went into combat mode and did what he was trained to do... In Iraq, but not here," said Gail Gianforte.
A naval doctor confirmed Gianforte does have PTSD.
"Truthfully, I don't know what else it would have been," he said.
Still, Gianforte has never made any excuses.
"I accept full responsibility for what happened. I accept that I have a two-year sentence. I'm willing to do that. I'd like to know what's wrong with me. Ultimately, if at all possible, I'd like to know what the hell caused me to do what I did," he said.
He is struggling to understand the toll of his time in Fallujah. He worries that once he comes home to Rochester he won't be able to find help with his combat stress.
On that new battlefront in his life, Gianforte has found a new ally: Debbie Maloney-Shain, the woman whose home he invaded.
"We feel bad that he's a veteran and that's he's in this situation," she said. "I would hope that he makes something good come from this."
Debbie's husband Dan has lingering health issues because of the beating.
Ellie
Last Update: May 17, 2007 8:14 AM
Kyle Clark (Caledonia, N.Y.) -- Marine Corps Sergeant Shawn Gianforte, 32, went from being Caledonia's hometown hero to being a convicted felon for a crime he claims he can't remember.
Gail Gianforte has spent years writing to her son in uniform far from home. But Gianforte's uniform has changed, he is now a prisoner in a Virginia jail.
She says before he was a sergeant, he was Shawn. His sights were set on the service. He joined the Marines just before graduating from Cal-Mum High School in 1994.
Shawn married his high school sweetheart, and went where his country asked: two tours in Iraq, the battle of Fallujah.
Gianforte recalled house-to-house fighting as the Marines methodically cleared the city of insurgents.
"It's a constant violence… You break the threshold of the front door... You don't know what's gonna be waiting on the other side," he said.
Gianforte came home to Caledonia a decorated hero. He spent a few precious weeks with his wife and daughter Zoie before attending military school in Virginia to train as an interrogator with plans of returning to Iraq.
Just a few days before he was due to graduate near the top of his class, Gianforte went to the oceanfront strip of Virginia Beach drinking with some Marine buddies.
He woke up the next morning in a jail cell on the way to losing his career, his family, and his freedom.
"Something happened that night and I don't know what it was," Gianforte said.
A few blocks from the oceanfront, Gianforte and Marine Sgt. Jerome Fenner stormed the front door of a house. They burst in, screaming at Dan Shain and his wife Debbie, "We're the police -- you're terrorists ...you're going to die tonight!"
Gianforte beat Dan Shain until police SWAT teams burst in and subdued him.
On April 10, 2007 Gianforte was sentenced to two years in prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution and get counseling.
He has steadfastly maintained he doesn't remember what happened that night. Nevertheless, presented with the evidence, he pleaded guilty to assault.
"I don't know how I got there. I don't know why… I really don't see how I can dispute what happened," he said.
The situation is similar to what he remembers doing in Fallujah, with one major exception – his target.
"I'm extremely sorry for what I did to them. I'm here to defend my country and take part in a war on terrorism and then, unfortunately, I go and terrorize an American couple in their own home," he said.
His mother thinks his drinking triggered something serious combat stress or post traumatic stress disorder.
"Shawn went into combat mode and did what he was trained to do... In Iraq, but not here," said Gail Gianforte.
A naval doctor confirmed Gianforte does have PTSD.
"Truthfully, I don't know what else it would have been," he said.
Still, Gianforte has never made any excuses.
"I accept full responsibility for what happened. I accept that I have a two-year sentence. I'm willing to do that. I'd like to know what's wrong with me. Ultimately, if at all possible, I'd like to know what the hell caused me to do what I did," he said.
He is struggling to understand the toll of his time in Fallujah. He worries that once he comes home to Rochester he won't be able to find help with his combat stress.
On that new battlefront in his life, Gianforte has found a new ally: Debbie Maloney-Shain, the woman whose home he invaded.
"We feel bad that he's a veteran and that's he's in this situation," she said. "I would hope that he makes something good come from this."
Debbie's husband Dan has lingering health issues because of the beating.
Ellie