Kevin M. Shea, Lieutenant Colonel

The death of Kevin M. Shea was the catalyst to form the Old Breed Rugby Club. Instead of an obituary, I’m providing the nominating letter I submitted to the US Rugby Hall of Fame.

You can also check out the PBS piece done on Kevin following his death. It is worth your time.

People can be forgiven when they confuse Kevin Shea with Captain America. Kevin's story is one of athletic achievement, esprit de Corps, patriotism, selfless sacrifice, and devotion to family. 

Born in Seattle, WA in 1966, Kevin was the oldest of 3 boys born into a strong Irish Catholic family. Kevin was an excellent athlete and won multiple accolades playing football at perennial powerhouse O'Dea High  School in downtown Seattle. 

In 1985, Kevin was accepted to the United States Air Force Academy for both his academic and athletic achievements. Kevin was a standout on the Air Force Academy football team at defensive end, playing in the 1987 Freedom Bowl.

It was at Air Force that Kevin discovered rugby.  Standing 6’5” and 260 pounds, his size, speed, fitness, and athleticism propelled him to the first side in a matter of weeks.  In 1989, Kevin led Air Force to the USA Rugby Collegiate Championship.

Rumor has it that in his junior year at Air Force, Kevin’s eyes started to go bad, taking him out of contention to be a pilot, a career he coveted.  Upon hearing of his misfortune, Kevin requested and was granted an interservice commission to the United States Marine Corps.

After completing Marine Corps Officer Candidate School and The Basic School at Quantico, VA, Kevin was assigned to 9th Communications Battalion at Camp Pendleton, CA.  So after his stationing there, Kevin joined the base rugby club, the Ghostriders.  The Ghostriders competed in the Southern California D3 league and participated annually in the club service championship tournament for military-centric rugby clubs.  

Kevin’s impact on the club was immediately felt.  He was named captain of the team and guided them to multiple match and tournament victories, including 1st place in the King's Division at the 1990 Las Vegas Midnight 7s rugby tournament.

On August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait from Iraq, throwing the world into chaos and military rugby into idle mode.  Kevin deployed to Kuwait with 9th Comm where the legend of his leadership and bravery began to take root.

Upon returning to Camp Pendleton in the summer of 1991, Kevin yearned for more from his military career.  He quickly volunteered for Marine Corps Special Operations with 1st Force Recon company.  While he trained for this most difficult of duties, he continued to pick up a rugby match where he could, playing with clubs all over Southern California.

Kevin’s Marine Corps career was blossoming, hindering his rugby playing time and focus. In 1993, Kevin was sent to Quantico, VA for additional schooling and specialized training.  At Quantico, Kevin found the rugby club and with his devastating play and intrinsic leadership, helped to keep the club competitive and afloat during an unprecedented drawdown in personnel.  

With his reputation growing in the Special Operations community, Kevin was assigned to Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL.  Kevin once again found a rugby club, this time the Tampa Bay Krewe.  Kevin was instrumental in helping this newly-founded club make a foothold in the Florida rugby arena. Kevin’s devastating play helped him make the Florida representative side for the upcoming ITTs.

Kevin was assigned to the Navy Post-Graduate program at Monterey in 1998.  Although his rugby playing was limited, his love of the game never waned.  

Upon receiving his Master's degree in engineering, Kevin was assigned to the United States Naval Academy as an instructor and student mentor.  He quickly joined the staff of collegiate rugby coaching legend, Mike Flanagan.  Kevin’s contributions to the midshipmen and rugby club at the Naval Academy were legendary. Upon his departure due to his deployment to Iraq, Kevin was made an honorary graduate of the Naval Academy.

Now a Major, Kevin was assigned to the 1st Marine Regiment who were deployed to Al Anbar province Iraq. His assignment was no fluke as his presence was requested by (at the time) Colonel John Toolen, a Marine Corps rugby legend in his own right, to be the regiment’s communication officer.

While in country, Kevin was riding in a Humvee when the vehicle was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).  The blast hurled Kevin, the driver, and a platoon sergeant from the vehicle onto the street, right into enemy fire.  With the driver and sergeant incapicated, Kevin was able to regain his bearings and return fire upon the enemy, diverting their fire from his Marines laying on the ground.  

For these actions, Kevin was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with a V distinction for Valor.  Due to his humble nature, his wife Ami, daughter Brenna, and son Michael only learned of this honor later.

It was actions like these that built on the legend of self-sacrifice and dedication to duty that embodied Kevin Shea.  But no act may have been more selfless than when Kevin delayed his return to the US so that his unit would not be without a communications officer while his replacement was assigned. 

On September 14, 2004, the 1st Marine Regiment headquarters came under attack from enemy rocket fire.  The position where Kevin was standing was directly hit.  On what was his 38th birthday, Major Kevin M. Shea was killed in action.  At the time, Kevin was the highest ranking casualty of the Global War on Terror.

The notice of Kevin’s death rippled across the country, from his wife Ami and his parents and brothers Dan and Tom to both the Air Force and Naval Academies, to the Special Operations community, and the military rugby community.  

Kevin is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, among too many of his rugby teammates and Marine Corps brethren.  He was promoted posthumously to Lieutenant Colonel.

Kevin’s death was a catalyst for the military rugby community, bringing members of every service together to remember and honor his commitment and sacrifice.  Examples include the Kevin M. Shea Award for the military interservice rugby championship most valuable player and the Shea Cup, awarded to the winner of the annual Naval Academy v Air Force Academy rugby match.

Additionally, in November of 2004, just months after Kevin’s death, a small group of active duty, retired, and veteran Marines joined together at a tournament in Las Vegas to play in Kevin’s honor.  Lt. Col. Jeff Nagel, Kevin’s close friend and co-coach at the Naval Academy, took this rugby group and dubbed it the Old Breed Rugby Club. The motto of the Old Breed is “We played with them.  Now we play for them.”  A simple sentiment to remember Kevin and all Marines killed in action since September 11, 2001.  

Today, the Old Breed Rugby club numbers in the hundreds, with the overarching mission to promote military rugby, remember Kevin and our Fallen, and support the families of the Marines we have lost.  Through various fundraising efforts, the club has raised tens of thousands of dollars to support a permanent support fund in the name of Kevin M. Shea, managed by the Semper Fi and America’s Fund charitable organization (https://semperfifund.org/).

Although Kevin never represented the USA Eagles on the pitch, we believe there is no one who embodies the ideals of what it means to represent the USA and rugby’s credos of teamwork, selfishness, and commitment.

A brief documentary of Kevin’s life, Marine Corps career, and rugby impact is at the link.