Tracy Shaw

Interview with the mother of fallen Hostage Rescue Team Member Stephen Shaw.


Video Transcript

It was always interesting around Steven. He had a great fun streak. Loved to play a joke. Almost never called up and just said, hi Mom. Always pretended to be somebody else. He would disguise his voice and go carry on about one thing and another.

He had a very great sense of humor. And a definite serious side. And I can see in some of his close friends how they mirror some of his parts of his personality. Which makes it more fun because it makes me feel a little bit closer to him.

He always liked a challenge. Certainly in a job situation, he really wanted to—if it was going to be difficult to do and fewer people could do it—he wanted to do that.

HRT was probably the toughest job you could do physically in the FBI. The training for it and the tryouts for it and everything else were grueling. And that was something that appealed to him. He liked a challenge. And that was the most important thing. As he said, he’d stay with HRT until he couldn't do it physically anymore, which I think a lot of the guys do.

I had several times when I thought about the danger of it. When 9/11 hit and he was in Yemen, I was not a happy camper. But, lo and behold he got home from Yemen. Died right off the coast of the United States of America. But he was doing what he loved.

I have a very strong support network. I’m very fortunate that way because a lot of people don't. I’m lucky that way, which has been very helpful because 2013 probably ranks right up there with, easily, the most abominable years I’ve ever lived.

He was a wonderful man.

I was very proud of him.

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