Service in Iraq
As a driver for his company’s first sergeant and commanding officer, Shane embodied professionalism and courage. He believed deeply in the mission of protecting the freedoms cherished at home and maintained a fierce loyalty to his fellow soldiers.
His role placed him at the center of his company’s movement and daily operations. Those qualities his family had known in Palmer—discipline, faith, and care for others—traveled with him into service.
August 9, 2006
While on patrol in Ar Ramadi, an improvised explosive device detonated near Shane’s Humvee. The blast took the lives of Specialist Shane W. Woods, First Sergeant Aaron D. Jagger, and Specialist Ignacio Ramirez.
Shane was 23 years old. The loss reached from his fellow soldiers in Iraq to his family, church, school, and hometown in Alaska.
This memorial speaks his name alongside the men who died with him: First Sergeant Aaron D. Jagger and Specialist Ignacio Ramirez.
Valor remembered
In recognition of his service and sacrifice, Shane was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, among other commendations. The medals stand as formal recognition; his family and community carry the fuller memory of the person behind them.