Honoring Our Sons on Veterans Day 2012: William Sigua

By Alexander Atkins
Editor and Designer of Our Town

Sergeant William Sigua, the son of Ben and Jackie Sigua, was born in 1985 and grew up in Los Altos Hills with his two older brothers, David and Jonathan.

He attended Bullis-Purissima Elementary School, Egan Jr. High, and Los Altos High School, where he was active in many sports — football, rugby, track, and wrestling.

The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were the main reason that Sigua decided to enlist in the U.S. Army right after graduating from high school in 2003.

Trained as an infantry squad leader, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 2004, he was deployed to Afghanistan to bolster security for the local elections. In 2006, he was deployed for a second tour.

Sigua was killed in action on January 31, 2007, in Bayji, Iraq when his unit came under assault from small-arms fire while on patrol.

Sigua served his country with distinction — his awards and commendations include the Bronze Star medal, Purple Heart medal, and Army Achievement medal with three oak leaf clusters.

A memorial service and mass was held at Saint Simon Church in Los Altos on February 8, 2007, followed by his interment at Golden Gate National Cemetery and a celebration of his life the following day.

On November 11, a dedication ceremony was held at Purissima Park in Los Altos Hills. Because Little League was an important part of Sigua’s early years, the Town of Los Altos Hills dedicated one of the baseball fields and erected a monument in his honor.

Each year on Memorial Day the Sigua family attends services at Golden Gate National Cemetery and hosts a picnic for family and friends at Shoup Park.

You can read about the other sons of Los Altos Hills: Louis Gau, Larry Mullen, and Matthew Manoukian in the Veterans Day tribute produced in Our Town.

Our Town is a newsletter serving residents of the Town of Los Altos Hills, edited and designed by Alexander Atkins. This excerpt from the latest edition was reprinted with permission.