R.I.P. Will Sigua

Los Altos grieves today for Will Sigua, who died in a firefight in northern Iraq Wednesday.


I won't try to encapsulate his life here, but the support that (I've heard) the community has been displaying makes me proud of my hometown, and should be a source of both comfort and pride to his family. Family friends and visitors have been pouring in, some from many hours away. Former coaches have been calling. The fifth-graders from Santa Rita, with whom Will kept in regular touch, delivered a banner that they made for him when they learned the news.

Though we owe them much more, our thoughts and prayers are with the Siguas.

[UPDATE: Feb. 2, 8:55 p.m]. Will's mother released a statement about Will to the press, saying "he loved serving in the 82nd Airborne" and that he "believed his unit would make a difference."

The AP is reporting that Will's patrol was attacked in a town called Bayji. In the story, Will's commanding officer describes him as "the type of leader you want your men to be."

[UPDATE: Feb. 3, 10:26 a.m.] The Mercury has a very touching story this morning about Will, featuring some of his correspondence with his mother.

Will's friends have been paying their respects on his myspace page. From his commanding officers:

"From the moment he was an E-5, he held the position of squad leader—the toughest and most rewarding job in the Army. He kept his men safe and shared their hardships with them; he was truly an exemplary leader."

[UPDATE: Feb. 8, 8:41 a.m.] Will's memorial service is scheduled for 3:30 Friday at the Crowne Plaza in Palo Alto. Donations can be made to the William Sigua Memorial Fund, c/o the Los Altos Community Foundation, 183 Hillview Ave., Los Altos 94022.

Also, the Town Crier article is up, with a few more comments from Will's friends. I was half-expecting to find an apology for the paper's thoughtless beating of the drums for war four years ago. Maybe next week.

[UPDATE: Feb. 27] Kudos to the L.A. Times for running a great article about Will this weekend, based on an interview with David and stories from his memorial service. It leaves out the part about four different girls referring to him as their first boyfriend, but it's great nonetheless.