A Veteran of the Vietnam War, Shivers was Recipient of Four Purple Hearts, Silver Star Medal, and Battlefield Commission
Lieutenant Colonel Stephen L. Shivers, USMC (Ret), was presented the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution War Medal and Certificate. Charles Porter of the Colonel Robert Anderson Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, made the presentation on Memorial Day, 2010, during ceremonies at Woodlawn Memorial Park. Porter summarized Shivers’ military service.
“Steve” Shivers joined the US Marine Corps Reserve on his birthday in 1958 while a student at Greenville High School. When he graduated from high school in 1960, he reported to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Paris Island for recruit training. He returned to a reserve unit in Greenville the following year and during the next three years, while working at Pet Dairies, he was promoted to Corporal.
Steve enlisted in the regular Marine Corps in June 1964 and was assigned to the Second Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He participated in operation Steel Spike in Spain in the fall of 1965. Returning to LeJeune in the fall of 1965, he was promoted to sergeant.
In October 1965 Sergeant Shivers reported to Drill Instructors School at Paris Island and a month later picked up the first of eleven recruit platoons he was to train.
In May of 1967, with the Vietnam War at it’s worst, Shivers was promoted to Staff Sergeant and transferred to the First Marine Division in Vietnam as a Platoon Sergeant of First Platoon, Kilo Company, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines.
On December 18, 1967, while conducting a search and destroy mission, he was wounded for a second time and evacuated to the Naval Hospital on Guam. Recovering from his wounds, he served a two-year tour as Guard Chief at the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia.
In 1970 Steve returned to Vietnam as a Platoon Sergeant in the First Marine Division. During his second Vietnam tour, while serving in the Combined unit Pacification Program, Steve received several decorations, received a combat promotion to Gunnery Sergeant and later in the tour became the last enlisted Marine in Vietnam to be awarded a Battlefield Commission to Second Lieutenant.
His commissioned service from 1971 until retirement included command of a military police platoon, Military Police operations officer, instructor trainer, Deputy Provost Marshal and Provost Marshal of Marine Corps bases, Air Stations and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Force.
LTC Shivers is a 1976 graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy, a 1987 graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. In addition, he has two college degrees in Police Science.
Among the decorations Steve was awarded are the Silver Star Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V (Valor), the Purple Heart with three Gold Stars (four purple hearts), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star.
Shivers is one of the main subjects in Doctor Robert Flynn’s book A Personal War in Vietnam.
After his retirement from the Marine Corps, he worked as Circulation Supervisor for the Greenville News until 2004
LTC Shivers is married to the former Darling Elizabeth Ross, also from Greenville, whom he lovingly calls “Miss Dee.” They have two children and three grandchildren.
Colonel and Mrs. Shivers celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary on May 1, 2010.
Congratulations to a genuine hometown hero on his award from the SAR and to Col. and Mrs. Shivers on their Golden Wedding Anniversary.
