Guardsman honored for service in 4 wars dies

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Guardsman honored for service in 4 wars dies




By Ryan Lenz - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 11, 2007 17:29:40 EDT

An Army Ranger who fought during some of the nation’s bloodiest conflicts to become one of the most highly decorated Indiana National Guardsmen has died, the military said Wednesday.
Master Sgt. William Butler, 77, of Winamac, Ind., died late Monday after suffering two heart attacks in the hospital where he was recovering from injuries suffered in a fall.
Butler served during World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm in 1991, earning two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts.
Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Brown, the Indiana Guard’s top-ranking enlisted soldier, said those awards and Butler’s selfless service set an example for soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan today.
“He was a military man and a complete warrior,” Brown said, adding that his service was a “backbone for how soldiers should be trained” for future conflicts.
The Indiana Guard has sent 11,000 soldiers to battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 — some several times. Each has benefited from Butler’s influence, Brown said.
Butler was born in Indianapolis and entered the Army at 16 after stealing his brother’s birth certificate in the waning days of World War II. He later joined the Special Forces and deployed to the front as a demolitions expert in Korea.
In Vietnam, Butler served in 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment. The battalion’s Delta Company was among few Guard units to serve in Vietnam, though thousands of guardsmen were sent in smaller numbers to help other units, military officials said.
That rush to the fight defined Butler’s service and serves as a model for soldiers today, Brown said.
Army Chief Warrant Officer William Butler Jr., of Theresa, N.Y., said his father was a “warrior” and perennial instructor who brought battle-hardened lessons to younger troops.
“He was the toughest soldier I ever met in my life,” said Butler, who returned last spring from flying helicopters in Iraq. “He was an inspiration.”
In August, the Army is to honor Butler by naming the Warrior Training Center at Fort Benning, Ga., after him. The center is used by National Guard soldiers nationwide seeking Special Forces training.
Butler’s other awards number in the dozens and include the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the World War II Victory Medal. He was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning on the same day as former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
A military honors funeral will be held Friday in Greenwood, Ind.




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