Army Sgt. First Class William "Kelly" Lacey, 38, was killed Jan. 4, 2014, in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. The Department of Defense reports Lacey died of injuries suffered when his unit was attacked with rocket propelled grenades.
He was assigned to 201st Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Knox, Ky.
According to WAVE-TV, Lacey joined the Army in January 2003. He was on his fifth deployment when he lost his life, after serving three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan.
Lacey's 71-year-old father John told The Northwest Florida Daily News:
“He was brave beyond brave. He was out there in the middle of nowhere, in hell, and he kept doing it over and over and over ... I’m just so proud of him.”
Lacey is survived by his father, stepmother and mother; two older brothers; three younger stepbrothers; his wife Ashley Lacey; 4-year-old daughter Lily; and three stepdaughters.
