Tuesday, August 22, 2017 10:56 am

FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 12, 2017) - Sgt. William M. Bays, 29, of Barstow California, was one of three soldiers who died June 10, 2017 of gunshot wounds.

Gov. Matt Bevin today recognized the sacrifice of three Fort Campbell soldiers--Sgt. Eric M. Houck, 25, of Baltimore, Maryland; Sgt. William M. Bays, 29 of Barstow, California; and Corporal Dillon C. Baldridge, 22 of Youngsville, North Carolina--who died while supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

According to the Department of Defense, the Fort Campbell soldiers died on June 10 in Peka Valley, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of gunshot wounds sustained there. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. The AP reported that one of their number infiltrated the Afghan Army and carried at the attack.

The soldiers were assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Company D, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky.