CPL Billy B. Farris ~ Farewell and Walk with God
Cpl. Billy B. Farris
Died December 3, 2006
Taji, Iraq
Cpl Billy B. Farris, age 20, died December 3, 2006 when an explosive device detonated near his vehicle while he was conducting escort operations in search of the downed pilot Maj. Troy L. Gilbert. He was a Stryker Infantryman, a reconnaissance scout, from Fort Lewis, Washington, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
Cpl. Farris was from Bapchule, Arizona, on the Gila River Indian Reservation just south of Phoenix. He attended his last two years of high school in Oregon at the Chemawa Indian School in Salem and enlisted in the Army after graduation.
He is survived by a son, 11-month old Kaiden who lives with his mother in Alaska, his parents, two brothers and a sister.
"He died for a purpose. You have to live for a good reason and die for a good one, like Billy did," said Chemawa School staff member Sarah Pigsley.
Cpl. Farris was from Bapchule, Arizona, on the Gila River Indian Reservation just south of Phoenix. He attended his last two years of high school in Oregon at the Chemawa Indian School in Salem and enlisted in the Army after graduation.
He is survived by a son, 11-month old Kaiden who lives with his mother in Alaska, his parents, two brothers and a sister.
"He died for a purpose. You have to live for a good reason and die for a good one, like Billy did," said Chemawa School staff member Sarah Pigsley.
Photo by Thomas Patterson Statesman Journal
A tribal honor guard carries flags during a memorial service at Chemawa Indian School. The flags represent the Chemawa Indian School, tribal communities and the United States.
5 comments:
Excellent honor. It's great to see Indians with bravery fighting for their Country!
Says he was in the Stryker Infantry.
The Stryker vehicle is supposed to more armored than the humvees.
He was must have been outside the vehicle.
FTGF!
He was not outside. The Stryker got hit bad... Most of the squad was torn up pretty bad. He was a hell of a dude...RIP Billy
SKI
Thank you, SKI, for your remembrance of Billy Farris - and for your service.
When I was waiting to meet with the Northern Arapaho Tribe Business Council and was sitting outside the Tribal Council chambers this past January, I saw a picture on the wall of a young man in uniform. I went up to look at the picture and saw it was of a member of the US Army who had died in Iraq. Today, May 25, 2009, is Memorial Day and like all Memorial Days, it is particularly poignant to me as I am a veteran of the US Army. Also today, a 10 kilometer road race called the Bolder Boulder is held in Boulder, CO. I ran in the race. Bolder Boulder runners can dedicate the race to a member of the armed forces. After seeing the picture last January, I decided then to dedicate my running of the Bolder Boulder today to Cpl Billy B. Farris who was born in Phoenix, AZ on January 25, 1986 and died in Taji, Iraq on December 3, 2006. I wore a placard in today’s race commemorating Cpl Farris and all those who have served our country.
Mack H. Graves
billy was my friend since 2nd grade...i wish i could've really told him how proud i am of him had i known that would be the last time i would talk to him...he was my friend and i miss him so much...
-joey brown
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