William R. Bond

{{Infobox military person

|name=William R. Bond

|birth_name=William Ross Bond

|birth_date= December 4, 1918

|death_date= {{death date and age|1970|4|1|1918|12|4}}

|birth_place=

|death_place=Bình Thủy District, South Vietnam

|placeofburial=Stockbridge Cemetery

|placeofburial_label= Place of burial

|placeofburial_coordinates=

|image=

|caption=

|nickname=

|allegiance= United States

|branch= 20px United States Army

|serviceyears=1940–1970

|rank=Brigadier General 20px

|commands= 199th Infantry Brigade

|unit=199th Infantry Brigade (Light)

|battles=World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War{{KIA}}

|awards=Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Silver Star (2)
Legion of Merit (2)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart
Air Medal (9)
Prisoner of War Medal
Order of the Crown of Thailand (Knight Commander)

|relations=

|laterwork=

}}

William Ross Bond (December 4, 1918 – April 1, 1970) was a United States Army brigadier general who was killed by an enemy sniper in 1970 while commanding the 199th Infantry Brigade in South Vietnam. General Bond also served in World War II with the Army Rangers and was a prisoner of war.{{cite web|url=http://www.virtualwall.org/db/BondWR01a.htm|title=William Ross Bond, Brigadier General, United States Army|publisher=The Virtual Wall|access-date=August 7, 2014}}

Early life and education

William Ross "Billy" Bond{{cite book|last1=Grant|first1=Stephen H.|title=Collecting Shakespeare: The Story of Henry and Emily Folger|date=2014|publisher=JHU Press|isbn=978-1-421-41187-3|page=197}} was raised in Maryland and Virginia. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree in political science and history. He was also a graduate of the Army War College and other senior service schools.{{cite news|title=Gen. Bond Served In 'Darby's Rangers|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19700531&id=4x4rAAAAIBAJ&pg=5609,6582065&hl=en|access-date=November 26, 2015|agency=Associated Press|date=May 31, 1970|location=Reading, Pennsylvania|page=45}}

US Army career

Bond enlisted in the Army in 1940. He participated in the Allied invasion of Sicily and later led his company in the Salerno landings in September 1943. On January 22, 1944, Bond's unit landed at Anzio. In a night attack at Cisterna, Bond was awarded the Silver Star, but was captured by the Germans and was held in a prisoner of war camp in Poland.

Bond began his first tour in South Vietnam in 1959 as a part of the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group.

In 1966, he became Chief of Staff. In 1969 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.

Personal life

Bond married Theodora Sedgwick in 1960, a distant descendant of Union General John Sedgwick who was killed by a Confederate sharpshooter at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in 1864.

Death

On April 1, 1970, during Operation Toan Thang IV, Bond was killed by a sniper's bullet shortly after landing in his command helicopter to oversee an operation in Bình Thủy District, {{convert|37|mi}} north-northwest of Hàm Tân District.{{cite news |title=U.S. General Killed In War |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1873&dat=19700402&id=f5YeAAAAIBAJ&pg=2473,413513&hl=en |access-date=November 26, 2015 |work=Daytona Beach Morning Journal |agency=Associated Press |date=April 2, 1970 |location=Daytona Beach, Florida |page=12}}{{cite web |url=https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/reports/images.php?img=/images/1683/168300010803.pdf |title=Headquarters MACV Monthly Summary April 1970 |publisher=Headquarters United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam |date=August 17, 1970 |access-date=March 15, 2020 |page=12}}{{PD-notice}}

His funeral was held at Arlington National Cemetery, after which he was buried in the Sedgwick Pie at the Stockbridge Cemetery in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.{{cite book |editor1-last=Stein |editor1-first=Jean |editor2-last=Plimpton |editor2-first=George |editor1-link=Jean Stein |editor2-link=George Plimpton |title=Edie: American Girl |date=1982 |publisher=Grove Press |isbn=0-802-13410-6 |page=9 |edition=1}}