Freedom isn't free - 9-11-01

On September 11, 2001, a section of the U.S. Pentagon was destroyed by an unforgiveable act of terrorism, and many Americans perished in the catastrophe.   For more information, please visit the group Memorial: U.S. Pentagon Building Disaster   Commander Dan Frederic Shanower, 40, was listed by the U.S. Navy as missing and presumed dead as a result of this tragic event. 

U.S. Navy Biographical Information: Dan Frederic Shanower Home of Record: Naperville, Ill. Commissioned: Officer Candidate School, July 6, 1989 Rank: Commander Date of Rank: December 1, 2000 Designator: Intelligence Officer Age: 40 Duty Stations:  Electronic Attack Squadron 136   03/86 - 09/88  Task Unit 168.1.2 Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines   09/88 - 08/90   Inactive Duty   08/90 - 10/94  Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific   12/94 - 05/97  Commander, Third Fleet   05/97 - 05/99  Chief of Naval Operations   06/99 - Awards and Decorations: Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon (5), Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (2), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3)  SHANOWER, CMDR. DAN FREDERIC USN OF NAPERVILLE  

Born Feb. 7, 1961, in Aurora, he was killed Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, in the attack on the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Interment was held at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 1, in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Va., at which time the Purple Heart and Meritorious Service Award were granted posthumously. In 1985, Cmdr. Shanower went to Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Fla., where he was commissioned Ensign. He served with the U.S. Navy from 1985 to 1990 as an intelligence officer. He entered the Naval Reserves in 1990 and took a position as a foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department. He returned to active duty in 1994 and reported to the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Command. Cmdr. Shanower's tours included several years in both Japan and the Philippine Islands. In 1997 he was posted to San Diego where he served as an assistant intelligence officer for the U.S. Third Fleet aboard the USS Coronado. Two years later he was transferred to Washington D.C. At the time of his death, he was responsible for providing intelligence information to senior naval officers at the Pentagon. 

Cmdr. Shanower authored several articles on military strength and readiness in addition to "Freedom Isn't Free" in the March 1997 issue of Naval Institute Proceedings. He earned the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Navy Commendation medals and the Navy Service Medal. He is survived by his parents, Donald and Patricia (nee Gibbs) Shanower of Naperville; sisters, Victoria (F. Edwin) Wike of Winnetka and Paula (Robert) Coleman of Willoughby Hills, Ohio; brothers, Thomas ('Ana) Shanower of Sidney, Mont. and Jonathan Shanower of Naperville; and nieces and nephews, Andrew and Elaine Coleman, Rachel, John and Molly Wike and Matthew, Nicholas and Stephanie Shanower.