William E. Brown dies 'of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with indirect fire'

An Army sergeant from Alabama saved the life of another soldier while losing his own to insurgent fire in Iraq, family members said.

Army Sgt. William Edward Brown, 25, who graduated from Phil Campbell High School and had moved his family to Enterprise with plans to attend flight school at Fort Rucker in October, died June 23 from a mortar attack near Taji, about 12 miles north of Baghdad.

Survivors include his wife, Rachel, who moved to Enterprise earlier this year to prepare for his homecoming, and two children, Ethan, 6, and Tyler, 2.

Brown's mother, Theresa Kyser of Daleville, said her son and two other soldiers were doing a routine check on a helicopter when the mortar fire hit.

"One of the other soldiers sent word to Rachel that when the mortar hit, that William pushed him out of the way," Kyser said. "He said he was alive because of William. That's the way William was, always caring for others."

Kyser said his wife has had many visitors since her son died.

"He loved everybody, and it seemed like everybody loved him," she said.

"He was a darn good kid, father, brother and husband."

She said Brown was serving as a crew chief on a Blackhawk Helicopter. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

He joined the Army in 2002 and was on his second tour in Iraq.

Regina Lollar of Muscle Shoals, Brown's mother-in-law, said he was a humble person and a great family man.

"He was just a fabulous man, you couldn't ask for a better young man," she said. "His kids and his wife were his world. He loved his country, he loved his family and he loved God."

From the Decatur Daily