SHORTHILL, JERRED LEE

Jerred L. Shorthill was born September 29, 1979 and grew up in Boise, Idaho until his parents moved to Spokane when he was 15 years old. MSgt Shorthill graduated from John R. Rogers High School in 1997 and immediately joined the Air Force. During his career he obtained a B.S. in Applied Management and was deployed in a variety of locations including Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, Afghanistan, Italy, Qatar, Japan, and then settled in Sedalia Missouri.  

As written by his sister Brandy: 

When I close my eyes and think of Jerred it's a late summer evening.  His skin is red and his hair is bleached out from the sun.  He has a big grin on his face a beer in one hand and a stringer of fish in the other. That is Jerred's happy place. That was Jerred. 

From a young age we always knew Jerred was joining the Air Force. He loved jets and planes. He used to get a monthly subscription to “Wheels and Wings”. Every month a few new pages would come in and he would snap them in his binder.  Jerred was always bound for great things.  

At 17 Jerred left home for basic training! We still have some of the letters he wrote and he called it a really bad summer camp!! He was off on his adventure to see the world. 

 Jerred had 2 beautiful children Zoe and Hunter. He loved those two more than anything in the world. Jerred and the kid’s mom split up.  The Air Force has no boundaries to break ups and eventually he was stationed away from his children like many other families.   

 Jerred's career sent him all over the world. From Afghanistan to Japan to Italy.  We as a family were so proud of him.  We loved to hear about his adventures, get fun little gifts from around the world. We never knew what to expect.  He lived an incredible life.  

 Jerred gave his all and so much more.  All this time we didn't know.  How did we miss our brave sweet Jerred was struggling.  We didn't know until we got the phone call. Just like that it was all over.  His entire life swept up in an instant.  Jerred was gone. An adoring father, loving son, protective brother, and a loyal friend. We miss our Jerred every day. 22 is too many. 

The Washington State Fallen Heroes Project proudly remembers MSgt Jerred L Shorthill for his service, sacrifice, and commitment to our nation. Our hope is that his life continues to inspire all who learn his story.