Army Pfc. Harry N. Shondee Jr.

Died August 3, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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19, of Ganado, Ariz.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Aug. 3 of injuries sustained while on patrol Aug. 2 when an improvised explosive device detonated near the in Baghdad.

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Arizona soldier killed in Iraq

Associated Press

PHOENIX — A soldier from Arizona was killed in Iraq after an explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad, the U.S. Department of Defense said.

Pfc. Harry N. Shondee Jr., 19, of Ganado, was on patrol Monday when the device exploded.

Shondee died Tuesday, authorities said. Another soldier, Spc. Justin B. Onwordi, 28, of Chandler, died in Monday’s explosion.

Both men were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, and were stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.

Shondee was a member of the Navajo Nation.

“It’s a sad day for the Navajo people and a sad day for his family,” said Deana Jackson, a tribal spokeswoman.

Just a year ago, Shondee was worlds away from the conflict in Iraq, Jackson said. The young Navajo was graduating from Ganado High School and looking forward to a career in the U.S. military as a tank operator.

In honor of Shondee, the tribe will fly the Navajo and American flags at half-staff after his funeral next week.

About 100 of Shondee’s family and friends gathered Wednesday night at the Ganado Chapter House to remember him.

They said he was a member of Ganado High’s golf team and the National Honor Society.

Shondee was especially adept at technology and science and was the most skillful player in town when it came to military video games.

“His bedroom wall was full of plaques and medals and other things he had won,” said his 61-year-old father, Harry Shondee Sr.

Shondee’s aunt, Louise Denetso, said he wanted to major in architectural engineering at the University of Arizona.

“He wanted to use the money from the GI Bill to get an education. He didn’t want to rely on his mom and dad for educational expenses,” Denetso said.

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Soldier remembered for smile, bear hugs

PHOENIX — Harry Shondee used to pick up his family members as if they were dolls, squeezing them in giant bear hugs that showed his strength and tenderness all at once.

Now, just one year after he graduated from high school, 19-year-old Shondee is dead.

The Army tank operator from Ganado, Ariz., was killed while he was on patrol in Iraq on Monday. An explosive device that detonated near his patrol vehicle also killed 28-year-old Justin Onwordi of Chandler, Ariz.

Shondee and Onwordi were assigned to the Army’s 2nd Battalion, 12th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, and were stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.

Family members of Shondee said he was always smiling and looking out for others.

“He was happier than all of us,” said brother Myron Shondee, 29, who is one of Shondee’s five older siblings.

The Navajo Nation is flying the tribal and American flags at half-mast in honor of Shondee, who was a member of the American Indian community. The flags will remain at half-mast until four days after Shondee’s funeral, the customary mourning period.

Shondee, a National Honor Society member who excelled at math, graduated from Ganado High School last year.

After his service in the Army, he wanted to become an architectural engineer so he could build a house in the mountains for his parents.

Shondee’s father, 61-year-old Harry Shondee Sr., has a deep respect for the sacrifice his son made.

“We’ve lost a dear and sacred warrior, a hero,” he said.

The family is setting up an endowment to fund the education of one or more students who do not qualify for scholarships.

“Now, his name will be revered,” said his father.

He and other family members described Shondee as sincere, modest, selfless and brave.

Ophelia Shondee, 27, said she will remember her brother for the smile he always wore and for his giant bear hugs.

“He was my little brother -- my happy little brother.”

— Associated Press