Texas Floods Kill Army Veteran Delivering Medicine, Five Dead in Burnet County

William Govaniavic Venus, a 57-year-old African American Army veteran and father of four from Burnet County, Texas, tragically died after being swept away by floodwaters while delivering medicine. His body was found near Hamilton Creek, about a quarter mile from his car, which had been carried off by the flooding that has claimed at least five lives in the county. Venus served in the U.S. Army for over 30 years, participating in Desert Storm and missions across Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan, retiring as a command sergeant major with multiple honors, including three Bronze Star Medals. After his military career, he continued serving communities by working as a medicine delivery professional. His son, William Venus Jr., described his father as a devoted servant to every community he lived in and called him a hero, sharing a viral plea for help to find him during the floods. The broader central Texas flooding has resulted in over 100 deaths, including children and young adults, with ongoing search and rescue efforts highlighting the disaster's devastating impact.