Karyanne Sheldon – Military Daughter

From a contemporary press report:

Hundreds held their breath and rendered prayers for the safe return of a little, blonde-haired girl who had captured the attention of area residents. But the unfortunate truth came at about 10 a.m., on October 31, 1996 when a boater discovered the small body of 2-year-old Karynne Sheldon, reported missing on October 21, 1996 in the frigid Occoquan River. On November 5, 1996 a small casket bearing the remains of the toddler was interred at Arlington National Cemetery. Scores of people, civilian and military alike, were there to say goodbye in a brief service.

Karynne was the daughter of ENC Scott Sheldon, an enlisted detailer at the Bureau of Naval Personnel, and his wife, Danielle. She disappeared from the yard of a house in Manassas where her mother was working.

Karynne’s disappearance prompted what was described by some officials as one of the largest searches ever in Virginia. Many search and rescue experts joined with hundreds of volunteers from the civilian and military communities to scour the area near where Karynne was last seen.

“Danielle and I cherished her,” Scott said. “She touched so many lives. We know she was special. Now, everybody knows she’s special.”

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard