Joshua Douglas Shepherd was born on September 3, 1982, in Lewistown, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Douglas W. Shepherd and Antoinette (Molek) Shepherd. He attended Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism with minors in History and Military Studies while participating in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. Following his graduation in 2005, he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force. He served as a First Lieutenant and was the Navigator of the B-52H Stratofortress 60-0053, nicknamed 'Louisiana Fire'.

On July 21, 2008, the ''Louisiana Fire,'' operating under the callsign RAIDR 21, crashed into the Pacific Ocean approximately 30 nautical miles (56 kilometers) northwest of Apra Harbor, Guam, shortly after departing Andersen Air Force Base. Assigned to the 20th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, the aircraft and its crew were temporarily deployed to Guam as part of a four-month rotation. The bomber was scheduled to participate in a flyover for the Liberation Day parade in Hagåtña, commemorating Guam's liberation from Japanese occupation in 1944. The aircraft crashed at approximately 9:55 a.m., just minutes before the planned flyover, resulting in the deaths of all six crew members and the loss of the aircraft.

1Lt Shepherd is now buried in the Juniata Memorial Cemetery, Lewistown, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, USA. He also has a memorial alongside his fellow crew members at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, en.wikipedia.org, www.af.mil