Californians Among 31 Killed in Helicopter Crash

When she last spoke to her son, Dustin, a month ago, Shama Shumney was preparing a care package to send to him in Iraq.

“He asked for gummy bears,” she said, recalling that last conversation with her only child. “And socks, because the guys don’t really have any place to wash theirs. He also asked me for cocoa. They can’t have chocolate there because it melts.”

Despite the hazards of war, Shumney, of Benicia, Calif., said her son believed deeply in the military but was “antsy” last June about going back to Iraq for a second deployment.

“This is not a draft,” she said. “These are enlisted men who want to be there. They were there to protect those people.”

Marine Corps 1st Lt. Dustin M. Shumney, 30, was killed Jan. 26 in the crash of a military transport helicopter during bad weather near Rutbah, in western Iraq. Also killed were 29 other Marines and a sailor. Six other U.S. troops were killed the same day in insurgent attacks, marking the deadliest day for American forces since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Shumney, a father of three, was remembered by friends and relatives as a man who loved structure. His mother recalled how, even as a boy, her son had a strong work ethic, loved sports and talked about having a family.

“When he was 8, he had his first paper route,” his mother said. “He never missed a day.”

In high school, Shumney excelled at football and was a well-liked offensive lineman. “He was the kind of guy you wanted on your team,” said Cliff Nelson, a former classmate who now teaches English at Benicia High School, where Shumney graduated in 1992. “He was a very tenacious football player.”

Nelson, who used to build forts and ride dirt bikes with Shumney in elementary school, said his friend was shy but popular with girls. “He always had cute prom dates,” Nelson said. “He was confident in his ability.”

After high school, Shumney thought of becoming a police officer but joined the Marine Corps after a friend persuaded him that it offered better career opportunities. He attended junior college in Concord and Cal State Sacramento before moving to Virginia for officer training. Throughout his studies, Shumney worked at a local supermarket to support his family.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Commissioned in the Marines in 2001, Shumney was on a second mission to Iraq, where his latest assignment was to help with security operations during the recent election.

He is survived by his wife, Julie; two sons, ages 3 and 12; and an 8-year-old daughter. They live in Mesquite, Texas, where the Shumneys bought a house last year.

Services for Shumney were scheduled Friday in Texas. Another service will be held Feb. 26 in Benicia.

Shama Shumney, who works for the Walnut Creek School District, said her co-workers are setting up an education fund for her grandchildren.