Chief Warrant Officer 2 Steven E. Shephard of Purcell, Okla., was a 1993 graduate of Purcell High School who played baseball and played the saxophone in the school's marching band and had a lifelong dream of becoming a pilot loving everything about flying and jets. He earned a pilot's license before he even graduated from high school. He taught aviation at the Air Force Academy and Kansas State University before joining the Army after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He had a great sense of humor and was voted "most witty" during his senior year. He was a hardworking and dedicated player who always had an interest in aviation. He joined the Army in 2002. And while he always dreamed of flying a fighter jet, he was happy to be flying a helicopter. His wife, Meleah, was expecting the couple's first child in September. He was 30.

Army
3rd Battalion,
3rd Aviation Regiment,
3rd Infantry Division
Fort Bragg, North Carolina∼Chief Warrant Officer 2 Steven Earl Shepard, age 30, of Purcell, OK., died Monday, June 27, 2005, serving his country in Taji, Iraq.

A mother and wife said goodbye to their heroic military son and husband Wednesday, July 6, 2005, at 10:OO AM at the First Baptist Church in Lexington, OK.

Army Chief Warrant Officer Steven Earl Shepherd, 30, was buried with full military honors at the Purcell Hillside Cemetery.

Shepard was one of two U.S. Army helicopter pilots killed June 27th while flying a mission northwest of Baghdad, Iraq.

"I'm going to miss him," said Barbara Shephard, Steven's mother. "I'm very proud of him." "He was your All-American kid who took an oath, stood by it and made a difference."

Shephard, a 1993 Purcell High School graduate, had been stationed in Iraq since January.

He is survived by his wife, Meleah, who is expecting their child in September. She released this statement: "Steve has been the love of my life for nearly 10 years. I was so blessed to have him by my side as long as I did. He was loved by so many people. His smile was infectious, so people could not help but be drawn to his personality. He has and always will be a hero to me. His daughter will arrive in approximately 10 weeks. She will always know what a courageous and heroic man her daddy was."

She will also know how her father felt about his comrades. "He would have thought this was all too much pomp and circumstance," Barbara Shephard said of the funeral service. "He really admired the troops on the ground. He would always tell me, "Those are the real heroes."

In Shephard's memory, family members have created the Steven E. Shephard Scholarship Fund to benefit aviation students.

Contributions can be sent to McClain County Bank, P.O. Box 351, Purcell, OK. 73080.