William Fleck
First Sergeant, United States Army
November 10, 1969 – January 25, 2023
Age – 53
Presque Isle, Michigan
A Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment,
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st ABN DIV (AASLT), Ft. Campbell, Kentucky
Kosovo Conflict, Operation Iraqi Freedom,
Operation Enduring Freedom
Died from wounds and trauma suffered during deployments in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan
1st Sergeant William “Bill” Fleck, United States Army, of Presque Isle, MI, passed on January 25, 2023, from wounds and trauma he suffered during multiple humanitarian and combat deployments with the United States Marine Corps and United States Army in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Bill was born to Raymond F. Fleck Sr and Sandra E. Fleck on November 10, 1969, in Alpena, MI. After graduating from Alpena High School, Bill joined the United States Marine Corps, where he was selected for and served in the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Special Operations Group, Special Missions Branch. Bill later transferred to the United States Army where he was assigned to the 311th Military Intelligence Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, Long Range Surveillance Detachment, where he secured routes for the first troops to enter Iraq. He later served at Ft. Benning, GA, the University of Oklahoma, and his final assignment was in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
Bill held several elite qualifications; including, U.S. Army Ranger, Pathfinder, Special Forces Combat Diver, Airborne (HALO), and Air Assault. Some of his awards included: 4 Bronze Stars, 3 Meritorious Service Medals, Army Commendation Medal with V-Device, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Kosovo Humanitarian Service Medal, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and numerous other awards and accolades. His proudest accomplishment was the fact that all his soldiers made it back. In addition to his many military accomplishments, Bill was fascinated by Egypt, publishing papers and books following his military retirement including the Great Pyramid of Giza: A Lesson in Creative and Critical Thinking, Axiom: A Jar for Tog, and Dark Matter Backwards: The Blinding of Truth by Falsehood.