Zachary Ryan Endsley was born on July 3, 1986, in Houston, Harris County, Texas. He was the son of Melinda Carroll and Terry Endsley. He graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 2004. As a teenager, he participated in the Civil Air Patrol and the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC). After graduation, he briefly attended Montgomery College before deciding to pursue a military career. Although he initially considered joining the Marine Corps, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in December 2005. After performing well on his military aptitude testing and being given a choice of occupational specialties, he chose the infantry because he wanted to serve directly in combat. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, based in Hohenfels, Germany, and was later deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cpl Endsley was killed on July 23, 2007, in the Arghandab District, Afghanistan, when his unit came under enemy indirect fire. He is now buried in the Houston National Cemetery, Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA.

Sources of information: www.findagrave.com, www.fallenheroesproject.org