The Ground Was Ours: Remembering the Battle of Shewan

We write this story in honor of our friend, MTNTOUGH staff writer and military subject matter expert Colonel Byron Owen, who led his Marines with unwavering resolve and was awarded the Silver Star for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action.

He won’t speak much of it himself—most of them won’t. But we will, because it matters. At MTNTOUGH, we salute his leadership and the legacy of those who stood their ground. We aspire to learn from men like Byron to add perspective to our journey of becoming more mentally and physically fit. 

On that day, as Platoon Commander, he faced intense rocket-propelled grenade, mortar, and machine gun fire that destroyed a vehicle and trapped several Marines in a kill zone. Then Captain Owen immediately moved his vehicle into the line of fire to suppress the enemy, allowing his gunner to provide cover for the trapped Marines to escape. Exposing himself to heavy fire, he dismounted to coordinate the suppression efforts, refusing to leave until all Marines were evacuated, despite sustained enemy attacks on his position. He then led a bold counterattack, integrating combined arms to kill over 50 enemy combatants, crush their resolve, and drive the numerically superior Taliban force from the battlefield. His courageous actions and decisive leadership not only turned the tide of the battle but also undermined Taliban control over Shewan, restoring coalition freedom of movement in the area. 

A Place Where Time Stood Still

There are places in this world where time slows down—not because nothing happens, but because everything happens at once. Gunfire. Dirt in your teeth. Heat that presses against your ribs like a clamp. Shewan, a medium-sized village in Farah Province, Afghanistan, was one of those places. It’s a dusty patch of earth on the edge of nowhere, unremarkable to most, absent from history books and battlefield tours. Yet, in the summer of 2008, it became the stage for something extraordinary.

A Historic Stand in an Unlikely Place

From May to August 2008, Shewan etched its name into Marine Corps history. Roughly ten percent of all Navy Cross recipients in the post-9/11 Marine Corps earned the nation’s second-highest award for extraordinary heroism in this obscure village during that three-month period. That’s not a typo—ten percent of the Navy Crosses awarded for valor in Iraq and Afghanistan were earned in Shewan, a place you’ve likely never heard of.

On August 8, 2008, a platoon of Marines from 2nd Platoon, 1st Force Reconnaissance Company walked into history. They didn’t fight for glory or medals. They fought because it was their job. Because they were asked. Because someone had to hold the line.

The Battle of Shewan

What unfolded that day on a strip of Afghan highway in Farah Province was one of the fiercest small-unit engagements of the entire war. It was the kind of fight that doesn’t make headlines but lives forever in the bones of the men who were there. The elite Marines of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, alongside their brothers from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, fought beyond exhaustion to show the Taliban what happens when you challenge the Marine Corps.

The Fight

Shewan was an insurgent stronghold, a fortress of trenches and reinforced fighting positions used by Taliban leaders to plan attacks across Western Afghanistan. It sat on a critical supply line between the capital of Farah Province and the Ring Road connecting the province to the rest of Afghanistan. The stage was set for a brutal confrontation.

The battle began in the late morning as the Reconnaissance Marines approached on foot. The air was dry and sharp, with temperatures soaring to around 130 degrees. The village was eerily quiet at first, but locals began to flee as the Marines closed in.

What followed was eight hours of relentless, close-quarters combat—a fight that tested every weapon, every instinct, and every man. The Taliban had planned their ambush with precision. They knew the terrain, had superior numbers, and were armed with machine guns, mortars, RPGs, and a network of trenches and spider holes.

But they didn’t anticipate the Marines’ counterattack.

With textbook aggression and absolute coordination, the Marines pushed forward. Danger-close airstrikes ripped through the battlefield, clearing paths for a trench assault that broke the enemy’s flank and shattered their morale. The Taliban had numbers, terrain, and preparation—but they didn’t have the Marine Corps. They didn’t have the grit, resolve, or sheer will of the men who showed up that day.

By nightfall, Shewan belonged to the Marines.

The Legacy of Shewan

No battle is won without cost. The Marines who walked out of Shewan carried more than their weapons and gear. They carried the weight of what they saw, what they did, and what they survived. 

This story is for them.

It’s also a reminder for the rest of us—those who never wore the uniform but understand the deeper truths of discipline, suffering, and purpose. Hardship builds strength, and remembering matters.

Watch our special podcast episode where Byron agrees to tell the story of the Battle and the mental toughness and resolve of his men: 

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