Sgt. Michael ShusterUS Army

    St. Louis

    Sergeant Michael Shuster, 82ndAirborne, United States Army. Michael attended Brown Elementary school in Florissant, Missouri and graduated Hazelwood North High School in 2007. He joined the United States Army in 2008 because of the hope it provided him in making a difference for America and his growth as a young man rising out of some difficult circumstances in North St. Louis County.

    On the night of May 17, 2009, Sgt. Shuster departed in a convoy with his Bravo Troop 573 Airborne Recon unit for another mission in Baghdad Alanbar province, one of the most dangerous places in Iraq. Driving a Humvee with 4 of his fellow “All Americans” from the 82nd Airborne, Sgt. Shuster was hit with a first IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Immediately, his nervous system shut down and he could not feel his legs. But, his Humvee rolled on….hitting a second IED. At that point, the truck almost came to a stop, but still kept slowly rolling forward….hitting yet a third IED. The three-IED ambush, that was left to knock out three different trucks in his convoy, all hit Sgt. Shuster’s Humvee. Sgt. Shuster’s injuries are profound. He lost his left arm, suffered a traumatic brain injury, and was sprayed with shrapnel that remains embedded in his face and body to this day.

    Despite these injuries, Sgt. Shuster has a tremendous attitude and indomitable spirit all fostered by his loving wife, Kim, who has dedicated her life to caring for Michael in his post-injury recovery. While Sgt. Shuster did not believe that he would ever have children, as a result of his injuries, Kim and Michael were blessed with twin boys, Tristen and Wyatt, born in 2011. The boys are the center of the Shuster’s universe and help drive him to continue to recover from his war injuries.

    Keep up with Mike

    SFC Henry Escobedo takes on the Warrior Games! We want to extend a huge congratulations to Sgt. 1st Class Henry Escobedo. He was selected to join Team Army for the 2024 Warrior Games! SFC Escobedo is one of just 40 athletes on Team Army. He will compete, with other members of Team Army, in Orlando, […]

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          Joshua Chamberlain Society, its volunteers, and especially the JCS Houston heroes want to extend a heartfelt thanks to Big Star Ford in Pearland, TX for all the vehicle improvements extended to the Escobedo family. Both, Rick Law, the general manager, and Jeff Kuithe, service manager, went beyond the call of duty in […]

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    Not many 13 year olds can say they have spoken at the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. In 2003, after the war in Iraq and Afghanistan began, Congress passed a law stating that nothing else could go in the National Mall. This site is home to iconic monuments including the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. […]

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    Taylor graduated from The University of Missouri with her Education Degree and is pursuing her Masters Degree from Lindenwood University. Taylor teaches the Fifth Grade at New Haven Elementary School. She currently lives in Washington, Mo where she remodeled her entire home. JCS was able to establish connections to contractors to help Taylor make the […]

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    The JCS family just keeps growing! Please welcome Elijah Nicely. Dad, CPL. Todd Nicely, and mom, Michele, are all doing well and settling into this new crazy life! Congratulations!  Elijah Nicholas – October 20, 2020 – 7 pounds 10 ounces – 20 inches long

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    Congratulations to the Vermillion Family on your new ride! Thank you to the largest contributors like NABC Recycled Rides, Travelers Insurance, Schaefer Autobody, and Scott Schaefer, Alex Alyatim, Colleen Lawler, Jack Lawler, Matt Koke, Gail Schroeder, Danielle Horton, Tommy Tedesco, Cottrell Fox, James Forshey.   See the video of our day here: https://www.facebook.com/JCSociety/videos/432819764747131.

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    Read Don’s final blog post here: “My adventure has come to a close. I am home and just want to wrap up a few thoughts. Many of you know about my trials and attempts at crossing the US. Those times while disappointing to me taught me a lot about things. I love to ride my […]

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    JCS is working to evaluate further precautions we will take to ensure the safety of our guests, Heroes, and staff for upcoming events. For the Price of Freedom Gala, foremost, safety precautions will include providing face masks to all guests and hand sanitizer will be readily available. As we are sure has been common in other areas of […]

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    Cpl. Chris Van EttenSgt. Denis Kisseloff