Today my walk was dedicated in honor of :
Army SGT. Shaker T. Guy, Age 23 of Pomona, CA.
KIA Oct. 29, 2005 Operation Iraqi Freedom
He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, Modesto, CA.
He was killed when an IED detonated near his Humvee during patrol in Baghdad.
He is buried at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, CA.
Sgt. Shakere T. Guy of Pomona, California was a 2001 graduate of Pomona High School. He was born in Jamaica and became a U.S. citizen in July 2004, something he had looked forward to. He joined the National Guard as a way to pay for his education. Before being called up to serve in Iraq he was able to complete a semester at DeVry University in Pomona and also worked at Home Depot’s Mira Loma store. But he was disappointed with the National Guard because it wasn’t everything he’d been told it would be. He tried to transfer into the Navy, but that proved to be a complicated move filled with red tape. So he settled in with the Guard and had been in Iraq for 10 months, expecting to return home in December.
He was about a month and half away from completing his tour of duty in Iraq and his commitment to the Army National Guard. He was to have completed his commitment in September but his time in the service was extended. In April, he came home for two weeks and relished the time with his family. Then he had to return overseas. He wasn’t as enthused to go back as when he was leaving for the first time. While at home he didn’t speak about his experiences in Iraq. He enjoyed dancing, playing video games and teasing his mother. The serious side of him looked forward to returning to Pomona from Iraq and continuing his studies in computer engineering, while spending time with his family and fiancee. His mother will miss his playfulness like when he would call and she answered the phone he’d ask for ‘Mrs. Sanguinette’. When she responded that it was her on the phone he’d say it was Shakere. He could fool her nearly everytime. On what would be his last phone call home, he said he’s coming home and getting his own apartment. He took time to speak to everyone there. He was the youngest child of Donna Sanguinette. He was killed at age 23 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during patrol operations in Baghdad.
We had a great walk. We did cut the walk short due to the weather but was a great walk. I want to thank everyone who honked, waved, and saluted in helping me honor this hero.
Army SGT. Shaker T. Guy will not be forgotten !
