William ' Bill ' Young passed away

Rest in Peace Bill..

RIP Bill. There are many such unsung heroes who are quietly dying away. At least some knew of his contributions and were able to honor him. Not all are so lucky. Hope we have some of his ilk in our current generation, but sometimes i despair.

I had the opportunity to speak with Bill’s family and some of his friends as well as some people still in the business recently at Bill's funeral. Bill was an amazing man and continued to be a resource of information up until his death. He could be called up from someone trekking through the jungle in a remote part of Burma or Laos on a satellite phone and they would tell them they were near a village and would like to know if it was safe. Even though he has been out of the business for more than 20 years he could tell them all about the village, who was the chief and anything else they needed to know. He not only knew his way around some of the most remote places but had a truly remarkable memory. Bill also continued to be one of the few who continued to help the Hill Tribes after the conflict and right up until his death. Their love for him was evident by the respect they presented at his funeral. Bill was a one of a kind and a true American hero if there ever was one.