Shane Robert Becker

United States Army Staff Sergeant Shane Robert Becker was killed in action on April 3, 2007 while serving his second tour in Iraq.

Becker was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He and his sister endured watching their parents get divorced in their early childhood before his mother remarried and the siblings gained a stepfather, step-brother, and a new sibling. As a child, Becker loved to bike, climb, fish and be outside. Additionally, he adored sports, especially football and baseball. While playing football for his high school team, he injured his elbow, which changed the trajectory of his hopes and dreams. One night, Becker’s future wife, Crystal, was the designated driver for a group of friends in Belton, Texas, when Becker physically bumped into her. He asked her to dance and for her number, upon which she declined, saying she would not be back in the area because she had only been visiting. However, he wrote his number down on a receipt anyway. Months later, Crystal was cleaning out her desk drawer and found the crumpled receipt. Before throwing it away, she decided to call the number, and the rest is history.

In 1993, as Becker grew into adulthood, he sought his biological father in Montana and joined the US Army as an attempt to prove to his father that he was worthy. However, his biological father was not interested and Becker’s stepfather drove up from Colorado to Montana to pick his stepson up. Years later, he entered the military for a second time following the events of September 11, 2001. He knew many young men would be joining and wanted to be there for them as well as to actively help secure his daughter’s future. Becker loved serving for the greater good and securing a free future for generations to come. During his first tour in Iraq, Becker was a bodyguard for Command Sergeant Major Gainey. As part of his team, Becker traveled all around Iraq, visiting soldiers in forward operating bases. After completing his tour, Becker attended airborne training as well as changed his Military Occupational Specialty from Tanker to Scout. He was then given orders for Alaska and was happy to serve and provide for his family. A little over a month after Becker’s return from R&R, a vehicle attempted to get past the checkpoint Becker and his team were overwatching. After stopping the vehicle, the enemy fired upon Becker and his fellow soldier. Before help was able to get there, Becker died from the injuries he sustained.

Crystal currently resides in the Houston, Texas area with her daughters, Cierra and Cheyenna. She loves woodworking, gardening, crafting, and educating herself on various topics to gain insight into what she could potentially pursue in regards to education. Additionally, she oversaw her community pool and implemented safety features and upgrades that the pool needed as well as volunteered with the Fort Bend Women’s Center. Crystal is presently excited about the direction she and her family are headed. She feels as though she has accomplished what she promised her husband, which was to be the parents they aspired to be, and is looking forward to supporting her children’s pursuits as they move into the next phase of their lives. Cierra is pursuing her firefighter and EMT career while Cheyenna is pursuing her dream of being a pilot as she attends AIM High Flight Academy in Bakersfield, California. Crystal is thankful to Tunnel to Towers for lifting a financial weight off of her shoulders. She would also like to pay homage to Becker’s mother, as she has had a difficult time and has been a wonderful grandmother to her children. Her husband, a Colorado firefighter and Becker’s stepfather, passed away in a motorcycle accident in 2020. She raised her son honorably and her sacrifices are recognized. Finally, Crystal would like others to know she has no regrets. No matter the heartache or pain, it will never be more than the love, care, and experiences that her husband has brought into her life. She knew she could run the world prior to meeting Becker, but he gave her the gift of wanting to be a wife and mother, which turned out to be the most rewarding experience of her life.

United States Army Staff Sergeant Shane Robert Becker is survived by his loving wife, Crystal, his ambitious daughters, Cierra and Cheyenna, his mother, and is predeceased by his late stepfather.