#295 Samuel Reineberg - First-Hand Account of the Old Dominion Terrorist Attack

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
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**Shawn Ryan** (0:36)
Sam Reineberg, welcome to the show, man.

**Samuel Reineberg** (0:39)
Thanks, Shawn.

**Shawn Ryan** (0:40)
How are you doing?

**Samuel Reineberg** (0:41)
I'm good, really good. Really happy to be here.

**Shawn Ryan** (0:44)
Well, it's an honor to have you here. Been through it this month.

**Samuel Reineberg** (0:50)
It's been a month.

**Shawn Ryan** (0:51)
I'll bet it has.

**Samuel Reineberg** (0:53)
Yeah.

**Shawn Ryan** (0:54)
I'll bet it has.

**Samuel Reineberg** (0:56)
It's been up and down, but through everything, I'm still grateful.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:08)
You seem good.

**Samuel Reineberg** (1:10)
Yeah. Amazing time being here. Even before I got here, been active, doing things, staying outside.

**Shawn Ryan** (1:22)
Keeping yourself busy.

**Samuel Reineberg** (1:24)
Oh, yeah. You have to. You have to. I mean, when I've not been busy, it's when my mind gets busy, you know.

**Shawn Ryan** (1:35)
Oh, I do. I do. Let me give you an introduction here. You ready? Sam Reineberg, prior enlisted US. Army soldier, 88-Kilo Watercraft Operator from Fort Eustis, Virginia. Served aboard the Logistics Support Vessel LSV-5, first leading seaman of the Maneuver Support Vessel Light, MSVL. Earned a Division Commander's Green to Gold Scholarship in 2023, leadership, science major at Old Dominion University, senior in the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps ROTC program, commissioning as an active duty second lieutenant this May. You're here to talk about what happened on March 12th. You received a Meritorious Service Medal for your actions at Old Dominion University on March 12th, which is being upgraded, correct?

**Samuel Reineberg** (2:28)
That's correct. A Soldiers Medal.

**Shawn Ryan** (2:31)
To a Soldiers Medal. Congratulations.

**Samuel Reineberg** (2:33)
Thank you.

**Shawn Ryan** (2:34)
Do you mind if I read your citation?

**SPEAKER_4** (2:37)
Not at all.

**Shawn Ryan** (2:42)
Cadet Samuel D. Reineberg, for exceptionally heroic actions, while serving as a cadet at the Old Dominion University while responding to an active shooter incident and life-threatening emergency on 12 March, 2026
In the face of extraordinary danger and with total disregard to his own personal safety, Cadet Reineberg displayed incredible courage under extreme circumstances. His selfless service and personal courage are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him and the United States Army. This day, this 21st day of March, 2026

**SPEAKER_4** (3:28)
Yeah.

**Samuel Reineberg** (3:30)
That was at the funeral.

**Shawn Ryan** (3:32)
That was at the funeral they gave that to you?

**SPEAKER_4** (3:34)
Yeah.

**Samuel Reineberg** (3:39)
They had a small ceremony prior to the beginning of the funeral that day. The Sergeant Major of the Army and the Secretary of the Army put that on me.

**Shawn Ryan** (3:51)
How did that feel?

**Samuel Reineberg** (3:56)
It's indifferent. It's great to have them there, to be present, like having those leaders present. But in the moment, standing there in front of a bunch of people I know and don't know, and to my right, was the family of Colonel Shaw.
That, I never had a feeling like that, because of getting a medal put on me, but the end result, that I really take some really responsibility, a lot of responsibility for, Colonel Shaw didn't make it.

**Shawn Ryan** (4:54)
You take responsibility for that?

**Samuel Reineberg** (4:56)
Not, no, but like, just how it happened, it was like I was working on him. I don't know how to, if it's survivor's guilt, but yeah.

**Shawn Ryan** (5:09)
You were working on him? Trying to revive him?

**Samuel Reineberg** (5:12)
Not revive him, keep him alive, stop the bleeding.
Yeah, get him out of there. So, the family, it's just seeing the family. And then after the Sergeant Major of the Army and Secretary of the Army said their words about that day, the family came up to me. Oh, the cousins, the aunts, the uncles. And I'm standing there in my dress uniform.
And they're saying thank you to me. They're thanking me. And I am only able to respond with I'm so sorry, because that's just how I've, you know, it's just, I can't even imagine. Because I'm having a hard time. I can't imagine them, you know, giving me hugs, telling me thank you. And it wasn't just me, it was the other five of us, six of us that were up there, them going through the same thing with the team.