Bays, William Marshall
Male
Verified U.S. Army Sergeant William Marshall Bays, 29, of Barstow, California, died on June 10, 2017, in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained in a hostile incident while serving in Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
Their Story
William Marshall Bays was a 29-year-old sergeant from Barstow, California. He served as an active-duty soldier assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Bays died on June 10, 2017, in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained during an enemy engagement. The incident reportedly occurred during a partnered operation with Afghan forces in the region.
Bays's death took place during Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S. mission that succeeded Operation Enduring Freedom in 2015. The mission's stated objectives included counter-terrorism operations and training Afghan security forces. In 2017, Nangarhar Province was a significant area of operations against the Islamic State's affiliate in Afghanistan, known as ISIS-Khorasan.
The Pentagon announced Bays's death in a press release on June 12, 2017. His death was reported by several major news outlets, including The New York Times, which listed him among U.S. service members killed in the conflict.
Sergeant Bays was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Meritorious Service Medal. He is memorialized on the 101st Airborne Division's 'Fallen Rakkasans' tribute page for members of the 187th Infantry Regiment who died in service.
Explore Further
Bays, William Marshall was killed during Operation Freedom's Sentinel (ongoing since January 2015). The conflict is ongoing. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Golden, Jonathan Joseph, Gonzalez, Jose Juan, Sanchez, Maria Victoria, Dawson, John Michael.
