Air Force Tech Sgt. William H. Jefferson Jr.

Remember Our Heroes

Air Force Tech Sgt. William H. Jefferson Jr., 34, of Norfolk, Va.

TSgt Jefferson was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.; died March 21, 2008 near Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

Tech. Sgt. William H. Jefferson, Jr., 34, of Norfolk, Va., died March 21 near Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

While others finish high school unsure of their futures, William H. Jefferson had no doubts as he graduated from Norfolk’s Lake Taylor High School in 1991.

He had already selected his life’s path and planned to march down it in a Marine Corps uniform, said his sister, Tammy Davis, 37, of Virginia Beach.

And he did, making a career of the military that eventually brought him into the Air Force.

On Saturday, he was serving in Afghanistan when the vehicle he was in hit an improvised explosive device.

The Pentagon announced Sunday that the 34-year-old technical sergeant died from wounds suffered in that blast, near Sperwan Ghar.

“The whole draw was to serve his country,” Davis said Sunday night. “For the last two years of high school, he knew he wanted to go in the service.”

Jefferson was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron based at Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

He was on his third tour in that part of the world, his sister said.

In e-mails home during his deployments, Jefferson had said he could see improvement over time.

“He talked about the differences he saw,” Davis said, “that everyone was making things better. He definitely believed that he should be there and that the U.S. was doing the right thing. He fully supported it 100 percent.”

He was to have returned stateside in 30 days, Davis said.

Jefferson had settled on the Marine Corps “because they said he could get into sky-diving school and scuba school,” Davis said.

He spent four years in the Corps. But even as he grew into a good warrior, he also realized he wanted to be a good husband, she said.

“He had decided he wanted to marry his high school sweetheart,” Davis said, “but he realized that in the Marine Corps, he was gone way too much.”

So Jefferson traded his uniform, donning Air Force blues, determined to serve and have a family.

“He’s been in the Air Force 12 years and planned to stay to retirement,” Davis said.

He had earned his bachelor’s degree and was working toward his master’s, his sister said.

“He wanted to teach high school. He was leaning toward history or government.”

She said he had settled on that as his next profession “because he thought that kids at that age need direction to pick the right path.”

Jefferson “just thought he could help kids,” she said.

He and his wife Kristy – his high school sweetheart, from Virginia Beach – would have marked their 15th anniversary in May.

Their second child, a daughter to be named Natalie, is due in May. Their daughter, Tyler, turned 8 two weeks ago, Davis said.

The family has been living in Fayetteville, N.C.

Jefferson’s parents live in Hampton Roads, in Norfolk.

“Everybody loved him,” Davis said. “It didn’t matter who he met, he just attracted people. He had a great sense of humor, just a big kid.”

She said the family also has learned he was respected. They have spoken with other men in his unit who said he was “a mentor, a great leader.”

When asked if there was anything she wanted to add about her brother, Davis’ voice grew stronger.

“Just tell people how proud we are of him,” Davis said.

“He was doing his job. He was doing what he thought was right,” she said.

“He is actually the all-American boy story; two kids, white picket fence,” she said. “A true hero in every sense of the word.”

Air Force Tech Sgt. William H. Jefferson Jr. was killed in action on 3/21/08.