Jack Blaine Beers
Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army

Jack Blaine Beers was born on 17 September 1934 in Allentown, PA, the son of William and Mable Catherine Solt Beers.

Jack was an Eagle Scout. He loved skydiving and building with his hands.

On 7 April 1969, Sergeant First Class Beers was serving with Company B, 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade, in South Vietnam.

That evening, SFC Beers' platoon was located near the town of Bao Loc, in Lam Dong Province, when it was attacked by an estimated reinforced Viet Cong company. SFC Beers moved through the initial barrage of rocket, automatic weapons and small arms fire to reach a section of the perimeter under heavy ground attack, and was wounded by shrapnel from an incoming rocket as he arrived at a machine gun bunker. Despite his wound, he directed that position's fire against the aggressors and momentarily halted their assault. After hearing a rocket hit in the platoon's command post and a cry for help from his radio telephone operator, SFC Beers started toward the stricken post. Again he was wounded, this time in the legs and stomach, by shrapnel from enemy grenades and rockets as the enemy began attacking from all sides. SFC Beers encouraged his men to hold their positions and crawled to a radio to call for artillery support. Although he was in an exposed location, he continued to adjust artillery strikes until he was mortally wounded by enemy small arms fire. SFC Beers' courageous actions and extraordinary heroism, at the cost of his life, earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Distinguished Service Cross
Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device
Bronze Star Medal (Merit)
Purple Heart
Army Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Parachutist Badge

Distinguished Service Cross Citation

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Sergeant First Class Jack Blaine Beers (ASN: RA-23877112), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company B, 3d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade. Platoon Sergeant Beers distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on the evening of 7 April 1969 during an attack by an estimated reinforced Viet Cong company on his platoon's night location near the town of Bao Loc, Lam Dong Province. Sergeant Beers moved through the initial barrage of rocket, automatic weapons and small arms fire to reach a section of the perimeter under heavy ground attack, and was painfully wounded by shrapnel from an incoming rocket when he arrived at a machine gun bunker. Despite his injury, he directed that position's fire against the aggressors and momentarily halted their assault. After hearing a rocket hit in the platoon's command post and a cry for help from his radio telephone operator, he started toward the stricken post, but was seriously wounded in the legs and stomach by shrapnel from enemy grenades and rockets as the communists began attacking from all sides. Disregarding his safety, he encouraged his men to hold their positions and crawled to a radio to call for artillery support. Although he was in an exposed location, he continued to adjust artillery strikes until he was mortally wounded by hostile small arms fire. Platoon Sergeant Beers' extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 1728 (May 14, 1969)

Honors

The name Jack B Beers is located on Panel 27W Line 28 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Burial

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5025004