Army Cpl. William T. Warford III

Remember Our Heroes

Army Cpl. William T. Warford III, 24, of Temple, Texas

Cpl. Warford was assigned to the 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; died Sept. 5, 2007 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. Also killed was Pfc. Dane R. Balcon.

KWTX --Fort Hood Cpl. William T. Warford III, 24, of Temple has died of injuries received in the explosion of a homemade bomb in Iraq, the military said.

Warford and Pfc. Dane R. Balcon, 19, of Colorado Springs, Colo. died on Wednesday in Balad, the military said.

Warford was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division’s 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

Warford joined the Army in September 2004 and served as a track vehicle repairer.

He deployed to Iraq in October 2006

Wife remembers Cpl. Warford as family man; Temple soldier killed in Iraq
by Laura Frase - Telegram Staff Writer

Every Sunday, it was the same routine.

Fazoli’s for lunch, Maggie Moo’s for something sweet and then a trip to the park.

Cpl. William Warford III and his wife Shellamae shared their day on the town with their children, 6-year-old Aubrey Anna and 2-year-old Anthony.

But this Sunday will be different. There will be three, instead of four.

Warford, 24, was killed Sept. 5 in Balad, Iraq, by an explosive device. Warford entered the military in September 2004 and deployed to Iraq in October 2006.

Warford’s awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

“He loved his job,” Mrs. Warford said. “It’s just something he always wanted to do.”

And his father agreed.

“He said he always wanted to be like his grandfather,” said William Warford Jr., the young soldier’s father. “My father was a bit of a hero in World War II.”

“He was real proud of that,” he added. “He thought it was the right thing to do.”

Warford had planned to re-enlist in the military, and after that, he wanted to be a police officer.

“He was very much a people person,” Mrs. Warford said.

Warford spent his childhood in Lott but moved to Temple at the age of 14.

Warford enjoyed most “childhood stuff,” including sports, animals, gardening, hunting and fishing.

He even broke his arm trying to save a litter of puppies, Warford’s father recalled.

But what really ignited Warford was when someone picked on his younger sister, Crystal.

His father said Warford even chased after three 14- or 15-year-old boys with a wood board when he was only 10 years old because they were harassing his sister.

“He wasn’t afraid,” he said. “He was the kind of kid who always wanted to help anybody.”

“He would’ve stuck his head in the mouth of a lion to save a friend,” he added.

While in Iraq, Warford wrote letters to his family, not asking them to send goods for him, but to send toys and candy for the children in Iraq.

Army Cpl. William T. Warford III was killed in action on 9/5/07.