Palmer returns to military base safely

The Navy sailor and Conrad native who went missing for roughly two weeks in Hawaii after an apparent altercation at a local bar has returned safely to his base and is being integrated back into his unit.
           
Shaun Palmer, age 24, sparked a national manhunt after the news broke that he had not reported for duty on Sunday, July 1, and little was known about the nature of his disappearance. On July 16, he posted a link from his personal Facebook page and commented, “I’m fine. I’m back on base waiting to figure out what’s going on.”
           
Palmer’s father Chad and paternal grandmother Carol Palmer still live in the Conrad area, while his mother Elizabeth Diane Unterein resides in California. Social media posts indicated that both of his parents traveled to Honolulu to assist in the search, and Chad was expected to return to Iowa on Tuesday night.
           
“We’re happy he’s decided to do what he needs to do, and he can go on,” Carol Palmer said. “It’s still in God’s hands, so we’ll see where it goes.”
           
According to the military website Stripes.com, a spokesman for the III Marine Expedition Force reported that Palmer came back “of his own accord,” and details about what happened between July 1 and his return have not surfaced.
 
"I don’t really have any details. I’m just happy my son is safe and back on base," his mother said. 
           
A representative of the Honolulu Police Department referred a request for comment on the matter to the Navy Region Hawaii, and that agency did not immediately respond. Palmer and his family are now seeking to put the whirlwind ordeal behind them and move forward.
           
“Things can get back to normal,” his grandmother said. “It’s been a rollercoaster, so we’re just glad it has a happy ending.” 
 
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