Sgt. Joshua Edward Shipman, USMC
1996-2021
“If you’re going to walk through Hell, keep walking.” -Winston Churchill
Marine Sgt. Joshua E. Shipman passed on January 26th, 2021, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Joshua was born in Chula Vista, CA in 1996. He graduated from Marysville Pilchuck High School in 2014, and worked at a movie theater before joining the US Marine Corps in July of 2015, at age 18. He served loyally and selflessly in Afghanistan, Norway, and South Africa before returning to the US. Joshua enjoyed visiting his father in Maine, and was an avid snowboarder. He was a selfless protector of those around him, and the unique Labradorite stone chosen by his father was selected for its spiritual and protective healing properties.
The following was written by Sgt. Shipman’s father:
We are very proud of the man Joshua became and the many good works he accomplished for those around him. His influence on this world will be timeless. Josh was selfless throughout his life.
I believe Joshua’s friends describe him and how he impacted those around him much better than I ever could.
“We will always remember Sgt Shipman as kind, gentle, always had a smile on his face, willing to help anything. And who can forget his smoking jacket 😀.”
“He always had a smile on his face and a constant positive attitude, his good vibe rubbed off to those around him.”
“I remember his power ranger costume during Halloween, it didn’t quite fit so he cut holes in it so he could see, it was hilarious, and then his pimped out outfit for my going away, even though the shoes didn’t match, he worked it well. May he rest in peace. Semper Fi.”
“Shipman was one of the sweetest men I came across while serving time with the Air Force in Kabul. Anytime you needed support he was always there.”
“Josh was instantly family. I met him when I was in 7th grade and he was in 8th. We had sleep overs and just the craziest of times. He always had a smile on his face and encouraged me to always be a better me and helped me become who I am today. I remember when he told me he wanted to pursue his career into the Marines and it always put a smile on his face. I watched him become a better man. We were always there for each other and I am so thankful that I could call him my best friend. He was courageous, kind, sweet, smart, silly and just so much more. I will cherish every single memory that I have with him. I wanna say thank you for being a part of my life.”
“I have known josh Since he was like 11 or 12 years old he went to middle school with my children Harminnie and AJ at Cedar crest I love that child as if he was my own we spent like every day at our house or at his house. I remember him and my son watching Pokémon, doing homework, and our dinners together. He knew what he wanted he did what it took to get no matter how hard it might be. I’m so proud of him. I will miss you josh thank u for blessing my heart with your love….”
“Josh and I only had met shortly before going to Snowshoe. Immediately I felt his bright energy and his welcoming personality. He immediately made me feel like we had been friends for years off the bat. Getting to know Josh at Snowshoe, I learned how he was a proud Marine and his life story. We later that day spent hours just talking about life, interest, and goals. Josh offered to help me in my goals without even knowing the full extent of them. That was the kind of person Josh was, a man who wanted to help everyone cause he cared for everyone. He had an open and loving heart. I’ll never forget the talks we had Josh.”
“Josh, and I truly embodied the meaning of the family you chose. We met in 6th grade. First time we spoke, we started to list off all of the thing’s we loved at the time. Pokémon, drake and Josh, and music. At the end we looked at each other, and said “did we just become best friends? Yep.”
“…one of my favorite memories is from the Halloween party when his costume left nothing to imagination, and was a big hit. He would always do what he could to make people around him smile,…”
“I only met Josh recently on a trip to snowshoe, WV and knew him for a short time, but in getting to know Josh, it was easy to see how much of a kind and giving person he was. One day Josh, Bridgette and I were riding up a ski lift and my one of my skis fell off and into the forest halfway up the slope. This would have left me stranded on top of the mountain if I were by myself, but before I even had time to think of what to do, Josh was speaking with ski patrol and making his way down the mountain on a rescue mission for my ski. I hadn’t asked him to do that for me, he just immediately took charge and helped me out. About 20 minutes later, after what I’m sure was a difficult journey through the mountain, he arrived back with my ski. He barely waited for me to thank him before he was continuing to what was next for the day. He hadn’t helped me for a “thank you” or an “atta boy”, he just saw that I was in trouble and didn’t even think before taking care of it. I was very moved by that gesture and it was a good example of his character. He was caring, gracious, and just a genuinely good guy to be around.”
“This one time, we were enjoying some adult beverages on our day off work. 1am rolled around and we had the genius idea to pet the tiger statue in front of the Oslo train station. It was pitch black, torrential downpouring, we were a little drunk, and had to run the 4 miles there and back before our 3am curfew, not a problem for a pair of U.S. Marines! Josh threw-up somewhere along the way and we both miserably stumbled through the streets of Oslo. We were relieved when we made it to the tiger then quickly disappointed because we had to turn around and run the mostly uphill route back. We made it with all of 7.5 minutes to spare before our curfew. It might sound awful, but it was one of my best memories from Oslo.”
“He walked through snow to get coffee for Bridgette and I which was so nice and thoughtful. And helped me when I was injured on our ski trip. I can’t say how much I appreciated the small acts of kindness from him.”
“I met Josh while he served at Embassy Oslo, Norway. He would always meet you with a big grin every morning as you passed Post 1, and it was the type of smile that stayed with you and was a great way of starting the day. He was very caring and would always be the first to help with anything.”
Thank you, Son.
3 Comments
Dennis, this will be a tremendous way to honor Josh! It is also a great way to continue your grieving and healing.
Dear Mr. Shipman,
Once I knew Joshua was my Fallen Hero, I immediately searched the info on TSP’s site to learn more about him. I instantly had to write down my thoughts and figured I would add to it once the mission was completed.
I am honored to carry the Labradorite stone for your son, Sgt. Joshua Edward Shipman. To be honest, I had to research this stone and its meaning. Come to find out, I could use one of my own. I read the comments from his friends and a few things hit me hard. I’m writing this with tears in my eyes as I wish to have been able to meet him personally and see his infectious smile I read about. The world we live in today is very different from the time we grew up in. So much negativity looms around every corner these days and it’s hard not to follow suit. I’ve always felt that I was self-aware and had control of my emotions, but I think I’ve lost a piece of that over time. I’ve found myself struggling with the way I’ve handled certain situations and insecurities I didn’t know I had. All I can think is, I wish I had a Josh to talk to. I bet he would have reassured me that I would pull out of it, that I would remain the same person I was raised to be (and proud to be) and that with positive thinking I would be ok. He would have cracked jokes, made me laugh and genuinely cared about me and my wellbeing. These are all traits I felt I had until recently.
Wow, what an eye opening and self-healing experience it was to transport Joshua’s stone. I am taken aback by how emotional this event was for me. Again, writing this with tears in my eyes. I did not know that I would cry as hard as I did and how it was going to leave a permanent mark on my heart.
This stone is said to heal against negativity we have within ourselves, and I believe that to be true. While carrying the stone to Baxter State Park I was finally able to reflect on the internal issues I’ve been dwelling on and find the path to get me back in a positive mindset. I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason, and I believe Joshua came into my life for this reason. Thank you, Joshua Shipman, you will forever be in my heart and NEVER FORGOTTEN!
With great appreciation,
Cassie Waterhouse
I was honored to carry Joshua’s stone during TSP at BSP 2022 with Red Team and share my son’s life with many amazing people. The Gold Star Family members, the other hikers, The Summit Project team, the volunteers, the MC Clubs, and everyone else I met exemplified the honor, respect, empathy, and compassion I heard often spoken about the heroes we carried and will carry again.
Throughout the weekend, I constantly witnessed the same personality traits and behaviors that everyone else was describing with our fallen. The same selflessness and compassion were all around. I realized that many of these people are the role models that helped shape these heroes. After that, I was kind of in awe.
Joshua was a middle child, and he was the peacemaker, the one who would do anything to help make things better for someone else. He would embarrass himself to get the heat off someone else who was embarrassed. He would run up and down a mountain for you because you lost your ski pole. He wore a red velvet smoking jacket to a formal he didn’t have a black coat for. After that, he bought some very loud dinner jackets to keep the trend going. If anyone needs a lavender suit, let me know.
Joshua appreciated every gift he ever received and loved to laugh.
Joshua was many things to many people, and his compassion and selflessness were traits that never wavered, no matter the environment.
I was inspired by something unique from each hiker in our group. I think mighty mouse smiled more and more as the leg pain set in.
I am genuinely thankful for each of my Team Red hikers.
It was my honor to learn about these heroes’ lives, speak about Joshua, and meet such magnificent people.
Thank you, Gold Star Families, for giving me courage and strength.
I look forward to seeing you all again.