Fishing for ‘Bible Boy': Memorial ice fishing trip helps keep local fallen soldier’s memory alive each year

SUTTON — Shane Woods was killed in Iraq on Aug. 9, 2006, while serving the U.S. Army. If you were to ask anyone who knew him, they would say the young man was many things before he died, a dedicated Christian, a loyal son, an avid outdoor enthusiast, and upstanding citizen just to name a few. Although he is no longer with us, his memory rings true and people remember all those things and more when his name comes up.

“I miss him terribly, but he set a very high bar in life,” Shane’s father, Wayne Woods, said.

St. John Lutheran Church pastor Jonathan Rockey is one of numerous people who strive to keep Shane’s memory alive. Each year, he invites members of his church and members of the community to partake in of Shane’s favorite pastimes — ice fishing.

Rockey said that Shane was a shining example of a dedicated Christian with a loving heart. He said that while he was in service, his fellow soldiers gave him a nickname.

“Bible Boy.”

He said that it was meant to be a tease but Shane took it as a compliment.

“He loved his country and he loved the Lord,” Rockey said.

Wayne said that his son was not ashamed of his faith and he had another nickname in the Army.

“Super Soldier.”

He said that he garnished a lot of respect during his short yet productive service to his country.

“He was very, very good at what he did,” Wayne said.

On Sunday, more than 25 people attended the annual memorial trip to Seventeen Mile Lake in Sutton to honor Shane and his legacy.

“He got to grow up in Alaska in [a] guide family. His life centered in outdoor activities,” Wayne said.

David Neslund brought his children Leif and Bjorn to the frozen lake, fishing alongside other families and familiar faces. He said that this was his fourth time taking his family to this event.

“This is a great time. It gets everybody out. Everybody gets to hang out and enjoy some sun, hopefully catch some fish,” Neslund said.

Shane was known for his love of anything outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. He was also known to help the attending children with things like tying and setting their hooks, according to Rockey.

This annual ice fishing event started with the Promise Keepers, a men’s group from St. John Lutheran Church. After Shane died, the annual tradition continued as an annual tribute to Shane’s memory.

“It’s a good memorial as well. Shane, it sounds like, loved to fish. It’s a good way to remember fallen soldiers and kind of help keep their spirits alive too,” Neslund said.

Ice fishing requires time, patience, skill, and a little bit of luck. Neslund said the key to keeping the little ones going is with cookies. Rockey said that he brought about 100 cookies to the trip. There were also chips, string cheese, bottled water, and hot dogs boiled right on the lake in a pressure cooker for everyone to snack on.

“Cookies are mandatory if you’re under eight,” Neslund said with a laugh.

Neslund and his family live off this lake. He said this annual, springtime event is ideal way to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family, especially the kids.

“It gives them a chance to remember winter and prepare for summer at the same time,” Neslund said.

Rockey drilled fishing holes into the ice as the children squealed with laughter, playing on the ice and nearby hills during their breaks from fishing. The weather was warm but the ice was securely thick enough to fish off of. The sun shone down on the frozen lake as the snow melted off tree branches.

Rockey said they’ve done this event at other lakes in the past but he thinks this lake is ideal because it’s more secluded but also easy to access.

“We’d done it a couple times then it became something we do in memory of Shane,” Rockey said.

Seventeen Mile Lake is a stocked lake and contains fish like Arctic char, Arctic grayling, Dolly Varden trout, and rainbow trout. Rockey said that about 20 years ago, he could fish his limit in about 30 minutes here but that’s all changed since even a secluded lake like this gets a lot of traffic. This didn’t seem to bother the kids.

“See? The kids aren’t catching and they’re still having fun,” Rockey said.

Promise Keeper Eric Wyatt has done this event for three years and was the official, unofficial hot dog chef manning the pressure cooker. He said that catching fish is a perk but not the goal here. He said there’s “not a whole lot of fish but a whole lot of fun.”

“Fish are just icing on the cake,” Wyatt said with a laugh.

Rockey said that in May, he will have been a pastor for 40 years and 28 of those have been at St. John Lutheran Church in Palmer.

“We all have troubles, we all sin. What we try to do is walk beside each other and help each other live as God’s children,” Rockey said.

Wayne said that Shane was killed Ramadi, Iraq, by an improvised explosive device (IED) about eight months into his service. He said that prior to that, Shane was a specialist and a loader and gunner with the Army. He said that Shane set a European record during a NATO competition in Germany. He said that his son’s skills and dedication prompted several requests for his presence on missions.

“He was a poster boy for the Army,” Wayne said.

Wayne said that Shane became a dual student with Colony High School and Palmer High School because at the time, Colony was the only school that offered a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program. He said that during that time, he was one of the top cadets in the state. He graduated from PHS and went straight into the military.

“He was a highly motivated individual,” Wayne said.

Wayne is the owner smf operator of Woods Outfitting and has been a licensed master guide outfitter since 1984, and has been a field guide since the 1970’s. He said that he took Shane on countless outdoor adventures.

“He loved the outdoor lifestyle of Alaska: hunting, climbing, fishing,” Wayne said.

Wayne said that this annual ice fishing trip dedicated to Shane was a fitting tribute. He said that Shane explained to him one day why he wanted to serve his country, telling him that he had he grown up with the best childhood and had the best life and he wanted to serve to ensure the next generation could have the same opportunity.

“He is still the man I aspire to be one day,” Wayne said.

Shane was among 4,643 soldiers killed in the effort to date to liberate Iraq, according to a 2009 Frontiersman. Wayne said that prior to that, his son accomplished a lot. He said that Shane was uncovered one of the first “really big” IED caches in Iraq, which was addressed by then president George W. Bush in an intelligence briefing.

“Other men are alive because of his service. That means a lot to me,” Wayne said.

In July 2009, then Palmer Mayor John Combs dedicated the city’s new urban revitalization trail to the fallen soldier. The “Shane Woods Memorial Trail” spans from the Matanuska River to the Alaska State Fairgrounds, according to the city’s resolution.

“He really was a community treasure,” Wayne said.

Wayne said that he was very thankful that he and his family spent so much time with Shane on their outdoor adventures. He said that he takes solace in all the accumulated time they all spent hunting, fishing, cutting trails and building camps.

“Those are precious memories for us now,” Wayne said.

Contact Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at Jacob.mann@ frontiersman.com.