Fallen Cedar Hill Soldier Remembered

Flags are flying at half staff in Cedar Hill, where a local kid who became part of the elite Army Special Forces is being remembered. 1st Sergeant William "Brian" Woods was killed in Afghanistan August 14th. It's almost as though Woods knew it was coming according to his uncle, Rob Woods. The two visited just before Brian left for Afghanistan and had this exchange:

"I told him, as your uncle I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that I love you and keep your head down. And he kind of chuckled a little bit and he said, 'okay Uncle Rob, I'll keep my head down, but just in case something happens to me I want you to make sure you guys do what you do.'"

What Rob Woods does is honor fallen soldiers as a member of the Patriot Guard, a group of motorcycle riding vets who escort the bodies of fallen soldiers. Rob runs the Ohio chapter of the group. His Missouri counterparts brought Brian's remains to the funeral home in Cedar Hill.


Rob says he was moved most by the people who lined the roadsides along the way.

"It's quite a tribute to a warrior when the public steps up and acknowledges we've lost someone who protects their country and their freedom," he says.

Brian's trip to the special forces was an easy one to predict according to Rob. Eleven members of the family had served in the military, and Brian was a daredevil at heart.

"He was probably doing some extreme games before extreme games were popular."

But he also grew into a husband and father. He leaves behind two daughters, baby Elle, who will never remember her father, and six year old Lilly who will have to try to figure out why he's gone.

"She's doing okay. Ya know kids are pretty resilient. They're gonna bounce back. For Elizabeth, it's gonna be a tough road to hoe," Rob says.

Elizabeth was Brian's wife. This is the second major loss for her in less than two years. The two had a stillborn child just sixteen months ago.

Rob Woods fought a generation earlier in Vietnam. He wears a leather vest bearing the insignias of countless military units. When Brian tried to present him a patch with his unit's logo, but he wouldn't sew it on at the time.

"I said unfortunately my vest has deceased warriors on it and I'm not gonna put you on there," he says. "And he said okay. Well, It's on there now. And very proudly on there."

The military says Brian was shot in combat. The confirm the special forces unit he's a part of helps train Afghan commandos.

Now, half a world away a town is dominated by the sight of those lowered flags. Of those who served, Brian was the third Woods to go to war. He was the first not to make it back.

Ever the soldier, Rob Woods says, "I understand that, unfortunately, war is hell, and it knocked on our door this time."