Hometown: Lawton, OK
Branch: U.S. Army 
Unit: 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
Military Honors: Purple Heart, Bronze Star
Date of Sacrifice: March 31, 2007 - KIA in Baghdad, Iraq
Age: 20
Conflict: Iraq War, 2003-2011

Even as a child, Cpl. Wilfred “Willy” Flores Jr. wanted to be a soldier. Both his parents were retired Army Sergeants First Class. At Eisenhower High School in Lawton (OK), Flores joined the Junior ROTC program.

Eager to make a difference in the world and to continue the family tradition of military service, Flores joined the Army in 2004 immediately after graduating high school. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, New York.

While he loved being in the military, Flores was disappointed with his first assignment to an airport tower to do paperwork. He eagerly volunteered as soon as there was an opening in the infantry, knowing that this reassignment would mean deployment to Iraq. He began his first Iraq tour in 2004 and his second tour in February 2007.

According to U.S. Dept. of Defense officials, on March 31 of 2007, Cpl. Flores was on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq when his Humvee was hit by a roadside improvised explosive device (IED). Just 20 years old, Cpl. Flores died from his wounds. Also killed in the explosion was Staff Sgt. Jason R. Arnette.

While Flores told his family that he was not a big fan of being in Iraq, he made sure they understood that he loved his job and loved being in the military. According to his parents, Cpl. Wilfred Flores was very religious, very generous, and believed that God had a hand in everything. He died doing what he loved most.

Willy’s passion for service was not limited to the military. He was a dedicated volunteer for children’s organizations, including Giddy Up N’ Go, a non-profit organization that provides horse-riding programs for disabled children and adults.

In his honor, the Willy Flores, Jr. Scholarship has been established at Cameron University in his hometown of Lawton, Oklahoma. At Lawton’s Fort Sill Army base, the “Cpl. Wilfred Flores Jr. computer lab” was dedicated on April 10, 2013—which would have been the corporal’s 27th birthday.

Sources
Details submitted by Ms. Vicky Flores, Cpl. Flores’ Gold Star Mother
Card photo provided by the family
Military Times—Honor the Fallen: Army Spc. Wilfred Flores Jr.
Fallen Heroes Project: Wilfred Flores Jr.
Fort Sill Tribune (re-posted on Army.mil): Highway dedicated to Lawton-Fort Sill Soldier
San Antonio Express-News (reposted on legacy.com): Wilfred “Willy” Flores Jr.
News on 6: Community Remembers Fallen Soldier
Burial site: Find a Grave