SPRING, TX, USA U.S. Army CPL, COMPANY B, 1ST BATTALION, 4TH INFANTRY, HOHENFELS, GERMANY ARGHENDAB DISTRICT, ZABOL, AFGHANISTAN 07/23/2007
Army Corporal Zach Endsley 21, was known as a quiet, witty “jokester” who was full of creative talent. He was a free spirit, and he was never afraid to try new things and he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He had a quiet nature, and a quick wit. Zach was a 2004 graduate of Oak Ridge High School, Texas. He enjoyed computer games, music and drawing ad was a talented artist, even winning a poster contest in high school. Zach used laughter and pranks to entertain others and the quiet enjoyment and entertainment often came in the form of guitar music as Zach and his friends would often come home from work and gather in the living room strumming guitars.
Zach was also active in the youth group at Crossroads Baptist Church, where the family was involved in the worship ministry. Friends, neighbors, community and church members tied yellow ribbons around tree trunks and set out flags in honor of Corporal Endsley.
As a teenager, Zach joined the Civil Air Patrol, a volunteer support organization of the U.S. Air Force, and belonged to the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at Oak Ridge High School. He was fascinated by guns and liked shooting them and taking them apart. After graduation, he enrolled in Montgomery College, but his interest in studying waned. He had a desire to be where the action was. This desire led Zach to explore military service as a career. He showed an initial interest in the U.S. Marines but surprised his family by enlisting in the U.S. Army in December 2005. He got a high score on a military placement test which put him in a coveted position to choose his job in the Army. He chose the Infantry. He understood the danger of war and he didn’t want to just go over there and build stuff or blow stuff up. He wanted to be where the action was. His enthusiasm also inspired a neighbor and friend to join the Army as well.
Although he was excited to be stationed in Afghanistan Zach sensed his family feared for his safety, and sought to keep his communication brief often leaving out details in his attempt to protect loved ones from worry.
Private First Class Endsley was assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, Hohenfels, Germany. He died July 23, 2007 in Arghendab district, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using indirect fire.
Zachary was born July 3, 1986 in Houston, TX. Zachary Endsley is survived by his mother, Melinda Carroll; stepfather, David Carroll; father, Terry Endsley; brother, Aaron Endsley; two stepsisters, Katie Petty and Kimberly Worthington, and their families.