By Ben Kennedy
Shaun Stephenson joined his brother Dion in the U.S. Marine Corps in the 1980s, inspired by his example and his family’s long tradition of military service. While both men were deployed during the 1991 Gulf War, Stephenson’s brother was killed in the Battle of Khafji, the first major ground engagement of the war.
“General Gray, the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, asked me what I wanted to do,” Stephenson said. “I said I wanted to go back to the Gulf and avenge my brother’s death.” But the survivor policy prevented a fallen Marine’s sibling from returning to combat. Stephenson escorted his brother’s remains back home to Utah and soon went on to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he achieved his dream of playing football for Navy. He continued to serve in the Marine Corps thereafter, achieving the rank of Captain, but never losing sight of Dion’s example.
Today, Stephenson is the Military/Veteran Strategic Outreach and Recruiting Program manager focused on recruiting his fellow veterans to continue their national service at LLNL. Beyond that, however, his volunteer efforts honor his brother’s memory and spread his values to a new generation. His family gives a scholarship at Shaun’s and Dion’s high school alma mater to students who exemplify Dion’s principles of philanthropy, leadership and patriotism. One recipient even connected him with an initiative that makes commemorative books and videos for veterans, which has taken him back to Kuwait to see firsthand the incredible progress and growth the country has made following the Gulf War.
Stephenson also travels to speak on character and leadership development in high schools and at veterans’ events. With so many distractions available today, he says, modeling and teaching principled leadership can make a critical difference with youth and young adults.
“I want to be able to provide them with a foundation of character and leadership — through tools, resources and principles that help them make a positive contribution to society,” he said. “At the end of the day for me, you know you’ve had a good day when you’ve served somebody other than yourself.”
