Fallen Soldier: William A. Zapfe

Army Sgt. 1st Class William A. Zapfe, 35, of Muldraugh, Kentucky, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia. al Ali, Iraq, He died June 19, 2007 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle; the driver, Pfc. Joshua S. Modgling, was also killed.

Born in Covington, Kentucky and a graduate of Priest River Lamanna High School, Sgt. 1st Class Zapfe joined the Army in 1991 and, since 1995, had served at Fort Stewart as a combat engineer. He did tank training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where he met his wife with whom he had two sons and a daughter. Serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was one month and eight days into his third tour of Iraq at the time of his passing.

Sgt. 1st Class Zapfe was awarded the Purple Heart for his sacrifice. His wife remembered him as the perfect father, husband, who loved and defended his country. “He lived his life to serve others,” said Kevin Jackson, a former soldier who served with Zapfe. “He was as selfless a man as I’ve ever seen. That’s why these men wear these uniforms.”

He was buried alongside his father, Joseph (a longtime Kentucky state trooper) in northern Kentucky. His wife is a Folds of Honor Higher Education Scholarship recipient.