On March 7, 2007, 28-year-old United States Army Staff Sergeant Christopher Ralph Webb was among three soldiers killed when an explosive detonated near their vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. All three were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, stationed in Fort Hood, Texas.
Webb was born in Hemet, California on December 16, 1978. He was raised in Winchester, California and grew up with his younger sister and brother. Webb loved comic books and Ghost Rider was his favorite as a child. He built models and liked to play “soldier” with his mother’s Army uniform. Webb was very close with his mother, stepfather, and siblings; he loved them very much. As he grew older, he loved to work on cars and shoot guns, which he still enjoyed well into his adulthood. One of his passions as an adult was going to and participating in motorcycle races. In January of 2000, Webb and his wife, Shalan met in Tacoma Washington. Shalan and her college roommates had a night out, where she met Webb and his Army buddies. Webb asked for her phone number, and they were inseparable from that moment on. They were married on June 30, 2001.
From a young age, it was apparent that Webb would follow in his family’s footsteps and join the military. His mother, step-father, grandfather, and uncles were all in the military. Webb joined the national guard as a teenager and later decided to obtain his GED before going active duty in the U.S. Army on January 19, 1996. He liked the order, stability, camaraderie, and ultimately loved fulfilling his childhood dreams. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Webb was promoted to E5 and as a NCO, he had more responsibilities. He always saw the best in people and was really rooting for them to succeed. When Shalan first met Webb, he had goals of using his time in the Army as a springboard to go into Law Enforcement. However, he ended up staying in the Army and after their daughter was born, he decided he wanted to become a Warrant Officer after his duties in Iraq. Throughout his career, Webb had many achievements, however, the most notable one was his ability to touch lives in such a positive way. In addition, he was named Recruiter of the Year for the Mid-Atlantic Battalion at least one of the three years that he was a recruiter in Red Bank, New Jersey. He touched many lives of the people he recruited and even received a heartfelt thank you letter from one. Shalan was so proud of her husband.
Currently, Shalan adores reading and spending time with her daughter, Mary, who she says makes her laugh so much. She is so much like her father. Shalan would like to thank her mother and stepfather for being incredibly supportive of her and Mary in their time of need. In the future, Shalan is excited to start the college application process with her daughter and to see that chapter of her life. Receiving a donation from Tunnel to Towers will allow Shalan to be more flexible and accept temporary museum positions in numerous areas and it would also allow her the ability to spend more time with Mary. She would also be able to continue to support Mary’s passion for figure skating. Overall, the donation is going to provide the Webb family with financial stability, which they are very grateful for. Shalan would like people to know how good of a husband and father Webb was. He was excited to be a father and took great care of his wife during her pregnancy and afterwards. Some of Shalan’s best and most wholesome memories include Webb reading to her when she struggled throughout her pregnancy. Webb is eternally loved and will never be forgotten.
Army Staff Sergeant Christopher Ralph Webb is survived by his wife, Shalan, and their daughter, Mary.