Army Specialist William G. Bowling

Remember Our Heroes

Army Specialist William G. Bowling, 24, of Beattyville, Ky.

Spc. Bowling was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.; died April 1 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Also killed were Army Staff Sgt. Eric R. Vick, Army Sgt. Robert M. McDowell and Army Staff Sgt. David A Mejias.

Kentucky.com -- A 24-year-old Army sergeant from Beattyville was killed in an explosion southwest of Baghdad, Iraq, on Sunday, military officials said yesterday.

Sgt. William G. Bowling was one of four soldiers with the Army's 10th Mountain Division who died when their vehicle was hit by a blast from a homemade bomb, according to a statement from the division's base in Fort Drum, N.Y.

Gov. Ernie Fletcher late yesterday ordered flags at all state buildings lowered to half staff in honor of Bowling.

Bowling had received a number of decorations, including the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal and the Combat Action Badge.

Little personal information about Bowling was available last night, but he was married and had one daughter and another child on the way.

Bowling wrote about becoming a father in a January 2005 blog entry on the interactive gaming Web site, 1up.com. He had returned to Iraq from a leave .

"That is really exciting. Although I am sure later down the road I won't be saying that," he wrote.

During leave, Bowling said, he had surgery on his sinuses to improve his breathing.

"In some ways that is bad though. This place doesn't smell the greatest," he wrote from Iraq.

In February 2005, Bowling labeled a blog entry "Sad Day." A soldier who had served in the Army about the same time as Bowling was killed.

"He was killed while trying to help a local out of a burning car," Bowling wrote. "A suicide bomber set himself off next to him taking two others lives."

"I am really hoping we can leave here before any more lives are lost."

Bowling's last blog entry was in August 2005. He was glad to be home on a one-month break.

Bowling, a military police noncommissioned officer, was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Co., 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. The outfit deployed to Iraq last August.

A native of Beattyville, Bowling joined the Army in March 2003 and received infantry training at Fort Benning, Ga. He was assigned to Fort Drum in September 2003. In addition to his wife and daughter, he is survived by his parents.

Killed with Bowling on Sunday were Staff Sgt. David Mejias of San Juan, Puerto Rico; Sgt. Eric Vick, of Spring Hope, N.C.; and Sgt. Robert McDowell, of Deer Park, Texas.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been released. The Booneville Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Army Specialist William G. Bowling was killed in action on 04/01/07.