William E. Young

William E. Young was a high school senior when he became a Marine. Bill enlisted around Easter of his senior year but was able to complete the year and officially start basic training in San Diego the following June. From June of 1965 to July of 1971, Bill proudly served his country as a part of the United States Marine Corps, spending time in numerous states as well as Japan and Chu Lai, Vietnam.

“I love this country,” he states emphatically. “That’s the reason I wanted to go into the military.” His hope is that younger men and women across our nation will uphold the values of the United States and the Constitution, remembering what our forefathers did to establish this country and what servicemen and women have done over the years to maintain our freedoms.

During his six years as an active Marine, Mr. Young says that the greatest lesson he learned was discipline. From the moment his feet were planted in front of the first Marines he encountered all the way until his last days in active service, Bill understood that in the Marines it is obedience first, understanding second. “You don’t ask a question until it’s over with, and then when it’s over you’re liable to have found the answer anyway,” he remarks.

After his Marine service, Bill went to college to pursue a degree in criminal justice. Not only did he achieve this goal, but also it was there that he met his wife Sandra. He then went on to spend three decades continuing to serve his community as a fireman, a career from which he retired in 2005. Mr. Young’s dedication to his community and the United States didn’t end there, however. Bill was a Navy Reservist beginning in 1991 until the time he retired in 2006.

A life lived protecting and serving others has taken him all across the globe and has given him the opportunity to see sights many of us only have the opportunity to read about. From visiting Hiroshima to witnessing an active volcano in Hawaii, Mr. Young has ex perienced quite a bit in his days. One of his most cherished experiences, however, took place in November 2019 when he was able to be a part of an Honor Flight to Washington, DC. Ushered into the district with the Hero’s Welcome he and so many other Vietnam veterans deserved but had never yet received, Young toured the monuments of DC and was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation and Challenge Coin.

Despite seeing the world over, Young’s home has been Forney, Texas for the better part of the last 40 years. He and his wife Sandra have three sons and four grandchildren now. While much of his pride revolves around his family, Young remains a proud veteran as well, a fact that is no surprise to those who know him. His sister-in-law, Joy Vike, sums it up when she says of Bill, “I do not believe I know anyone who loves the military and respects those that have served more than him.”