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Nov 16, 2009 9:42 pm US/Central
Hico Family Remembers Son Killed In Afghanistan
HICO (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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Lance Corporal Shawn Hefner
KTVT / KTXA
It's the knock on the door that no military family wants to receive. Now, the Hefner family, of Hamilton County, is remembering their son who was killed in action on the battlefield of Iraq.
When Hico resident Shawn Hefner went to Afghanistan in June his mother started a journal and scrapbook for him.
"He was across the international dateline, about 11 hours ahead of us. So he was calling from the future," Robin Hefner said of her son.
Robin was working on the scrapbook and expecting a delivery to add to it. Two marines showed up instead. "I saw the military people standing there and I ran to the bedroom," Robins aid shaking her head.
While 22-year-old Shawn was no mamma's boy, he certainly loved his mother. "He took care of me. He was always the one who would sit next to me no matter how big he got."
Shawn was most like his father - a marine before him. "He was chip off the old block," Patrick Hefner said of his son.
Shawn knew his mother worried. So, the day his armored vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) he took pictures from his stretcher to let her know he was okay.
But November 13th was different. It was on that day that Shawn stepped on an IED while on foot patrol.
"Anyone that makes that sacrifice in my eyes is a hero," Patrick said.
Lance Corporal Shawn Hefner was due home for Thanksgiving. Now he'll be remembered as an American hero and more.
"Well, he was a marine and yes he's a hero but first he's my son," Robin said proudly.
Marines will escort Shawn's casket when it is flown into Waco Regional Airport at 11am Thursday and transported to a Hico funeral home. The funeral is set for 2pm Friday at the First Baptist Church in Hico.
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