William Clinton Bird Sr.

Sgt. William Clinton Bird, Sr. (Ret.), passed away on February 21, 2018 in Vinton, Louisiana. He was born on November 20, 1949 in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Loyd Clinton Bird and Ruthie Mae Scheets. Bill proudly served his country in the U.S. Armed Forces, serving 28 years in the Navy and Army before his retirement in December of 2005. He was awarded the Navy Cross and was also a Purple Heart recipient, along with many other distinguished honors. In his spare time, Bill enjoyed woodworking, carpentry, and studying military history.

Bill is survived by his sister Ann Beasley and her husband James; son William Clinton Bird, Jr and girlfriend Kathryn; step-children Wayne Scot and Kevin Scot and wife Alice; grandchildren Courtney, Chris, and Brittany; brother Raymond Lee Smith and wife Ginger; niece Rianna Beasley; and great niece Tvelyn Davis.

A funeral service will be held at 12:00 Noon on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at the Wylie National Guard Armory, Wylie. Interment and military honors at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery will be at 1:30PM on Monday, March 5, 2018.

The Navy Cross is presented to William C. Bird, Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving as a Rifleman with Company E, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, in the Republic of Vietnam on 15 May 1969. The First Platoon of Company E was assigned the mission of relieving a friendly unit heavily engaged in combat with a North Vietnamese Army battalion near An Hoa in Quang Nam Province. As the point squad of Company E crossed an open field, it came under a heavy volume of rocket and automatic weapons fire from a large hostile unit occupying well-camouflaged bunkers. Alertly observing two wounded Marines lying dangerously exposed to the enemy fire, Private First Class Bird, despite the intense volume of hostile rounds impacting near him, pulled his comrades to a position of relative safety. Reacting instantly, he fearlessly stood up and, effectively firing his M-16 rifle, provided enough covering fire to enable a Corpsman to reach the wounded Marines. Continuing to expose himself to the intense hostile fire, he delivered accurate covering fire for the Corpsman as he moved throughout the hazardous area and administered emergency medical treatment to all the wounded. At dusk, another reaction force and two supporting tanks were deployed from the company command post. Alertly observing that the tank commanders were having difficulty discerning the enemy targets because of the approaching darkness, Private First Class Bird unhesitatingly climbed aboard the lead tank, despite the intense volume of enemy fire directed at him and, skillfully pointing out the hostile positions to the tank commander, was instrumental in bringing devastating fire to bear upon the enemy. As the platoon withdrew to a night defensive position, Private First Class Bird personally carried two wounded Marines to the friendly perimeter and subsequently assisted in loading the remainder of the casualties aboard the tanks for rapid evacuation. When an enemy rocket impacted on one of the tanks, seriously wounding the driver, Private First Class Bird positioned himself between the tank and the nearby hostile emplacement and, accurately firing his rifle, suppressed the enemy fire while the tank crew reorganized and continued firing. Private First Class Bird was directly responsible for saving the lives of six Marines. His courage, aggressive fighting spirit and unwavering devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

• Authority: Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals