Army Spc. William A. Blount

Died April 7, 2010 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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21, of Petal, Miss.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Stewart, Ga.; died April 7 in Mosul, Iraq, when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

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Plans for Blount’s funeral finalized

By Tim Doherty

Hattiesburg (Miss.) American

The Petal soldier killed in Iraq last week will soon be back home for burial.

The body of William Anthony Blount is expected to be flown early April 15 from Dover, Del., to Hattiesburg.

Viewing will be at 6 p.m. that day at Moore Funeral Home in Petal, with the funeral service scheduled for 11:30 a.m. April 17 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oak Grove. Burial is to follow at Highland Cemetery in Hattiesburg.

Blount, 21, served with 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, out of Fort Stewart, Ga. He was one of two killed April 7 when his unit’s vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in Mosul, Iraq.

Blount and his commanding officer, Lt. Robert Wilson Collins of Tyrone, Ga., were the most recent American casualties in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

According to the Department of Defense Web site’s announcement of the deaths, Blount had been promoted posthumously on Monday to specialist from private first class.

Blount’s and Collins’ bodies arrived in the United States over the weekend.

“They had to do autopsies on the two of them and completely finish their investigation before they could close the [cases] on them,” said Blount’s father, Billy.

“They had to make sure that they had their I’s dotted and T’s crossed.”

Blount, an avid follower of the Atlanta Braves and University of Southern Mississippi athletic program, graduated from Petal High School in 2007. He enlisted in the Army early in 2009.

Along with his parents and two sisters, Blount is survived by his wife, Amanda, who is eight months pregnant with a daughter the couple decided to name Avery.

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Sense of humor, guitar skills stood out

The Associated Press

William “Anthony” Blount, remembered as an outgoing and funny man who taught himself how to play guitar, was supposed to be home in May for the birth of his first child.

He was looking forward to meeting the girl to be named Avery Elizabeth, said his brother-in-law, Nate McRae.

However, the 21-year-old from Petal, Miss., was killed April 7 in Mosul, Iraq, when the vehicle he and another soldier were in hit a roadside bomb. He was assigned to Fort Stewart, Ga.

McRae said his brother-in-law was “really a great spirit.”

“Anthony was one of most the hilarious people I’ve ever met. The guy was funny as hell,” McRae said.

McRae also said Blount was an “amazing” guitar player who taught himself how to play. The soldier also loved playing video games and hanging out with friends.

Blount was determined to join the military, despite McRae’s efforts to persuade him not to join, McRae said.

McRae said he tried to discourage Blount from the joining the Army nearly two years ago, but the Petal High School graduate was intent on serving in the military.

“He’s extremely honorable,” McRae said. “All of his commanding officers said he was just an amazing soldier. It’s a tremendous loss.”

Blount also is survived by his wife, Amanda.