Ft. Belvoir, Va. — An Oregon National Guard Soldier serving at Ft. Belvoir was killed in a Monday afternoon car crash, while driving home for a family dinner.
The victim, Army Master Sergeant William Scott Pitts, had more than 22 years in the military. He was posthumously promoted to master sergeant on Tuesday.
Colleagues at the National Guard Bureau remember him fondly, saying his strongest quality was how much of a family man he was to those he is survived by; his wife Vicki R. Pitts and their three children, daughters Crystal, 16, and Tonya, 9, and son Scott, 12.
A Memorial Ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Fort Belvoir Main Post Chapel, 12th and Belvoir Road, at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 25, with Old Guard members providing Honor Guard and Bugler support.
His family will hold a graveside service in the near future.
Pitts is the second U.S. serviceman to die in a crash along the same stretch of road in the last two weeks.
On March 14, 54-year-old Paul Krause was killed when a Honda Civic collided with his Ford Fusion sedan forcing it into oncoming traffic on Richmond Highway (U.S. 1).
Krause is also being remembered today and tomorrow.
A 33-year-old illegal immigrant, Carlos Ramos Lagos, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in his death.
-U.S. National Guard contributed to this report.
