Shawn Sanders McMaster, the son of Nancy E. Sanders and Ronald R. McMaster, was born at Fort Riley, KS. He grew up in an Army family and enjoyed traveling in the United States and Europe. It gave him an appreciation of Army life and the world in which we live. This was a big part of his personality and would better prepare him for West Point and beyond.
Before going to the Academy in 1977, Shawn met classmate Dan Chesnut in a hotel lobby in New York City. They were both waiting for the bus to take them to West Point for the start of plebe training. They connected immediately, as they were both looking for someone to lean on in this new life at the Academy. However, they did not see each other until after the new cadet summer training requirements had been completed. As fate would have it, they were reunited by the assignment to the same company for the academic year, which would last for four years. Dan always appreciated Shawn’s cool, calm demeanor; especially as plebes learning their new responsibilities. They became good friends and worked well together.
Classmate Mark Sofia best described Shawn’s approach to cadet life. Shawn was a man of few words. He studied hard to make the grade, and he enjoyed being part of the team. He was stern but had a smile that was contagious and only laughed when something was really funny.
Classmates really get to know each other at the Academy with daily life full of formations, inspections, meals, intramurals, parades, and football games. These activities foster trust, teambuilding and friendship. There were two world events that stood out in collective memory of the classmates of 1981: they all watched the “Miracle on Ice” during the 1980 Winter Olympics, and they witnessed the reuniting of the Iran hostages with their families at West Point in 1981.
Classmate Bob Newman knew Shawn on a different level, because they both grew up in military families. Shawn and Bob found it ironic, having both chosen to follow their fathers’ footsteps and join the Army, that they both selected Infantry before graduation. Bob’s favorite memory of Shawn involved the Saturday night gathering of the D-1 classmates at Ike Hall. Everyone would discuss, socialize and laugh about the events of the day. Shawn may have seemed too quiet, but it was fun to know him because his sense of humor would shine through on those late nights.
Shawn’s military career took him to Fort Benning, GA, where he attended the basic and advanced courses. He attended the Jungle Warfare School in Panama. Then, he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry at Fort Lewis, WA as a junior lieutenant. He would finish out his career at Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN as a company commander in the same battalion with Dave Mossbarger ’76. Shawn and Dave were commanders at the same time and enjoyed each other’s friendship. Once again, Shawn met a fellow West Point graduate and a friendship developed due to their common background. Shawn left the Army as a major.
Shawn’s civilian career included executive positions in engineering and manufacturing in Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Missouri. He earned his MBA from Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. Shawn was actively involved in giving back to others in every community where he lived. He was a 25-year member of the American Legion, a member of the “Forty and Eight” Veterans Organization, a Kentucky Colonel, a foster family for Midwest Doberman Rescue, and a member of St. Bernadette Catholic Parish.
Classmate Dan Chesnut visited Shawn in Kentucky a few years after they both decided to leave the military, and they reconnected just like they were back in school. At the time, Shawn was working at a Westinghouse refrigerator factory with classmate Curtis Alexander. Shawn and Dan had remained good friends in life.
Shawn passed away January 5, 2019 in Louisville, KY. He was 59 years old. Shawn is survived by his wife of 24 years, Diane; by daughters Shannon (Kate) McMaster and Colleen (Ryan) Volz; and by his son, R. Alexander McMaster. He was the proud grandfather of Finley and Isla Volz. He is also survived by his sisters, Lynne (Jim) McGinnis and Chartley (Sean Byrne) Bondurant, and by brothers Roark (Carolyn) McMaster and Michael (Tammy) McMaster, as well as nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ronald and Nancy McMaster.
— Classmates