| NAME: John Francis Beard |
NICKNAME: — |
SERVICE NUMBER: 472625 |
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| HOME OF RECORD: 102 East 124th Street, New York, NY |
NEXT OF KIN: Mother, Mrs. Catherine Beard |
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| DATE OF BIRTH: 9/21/1921 |
SERVICE DATES: 10/1/1942 – 12/1/1945 |
DATE OF DEATH: 1/8/1967 |
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| CAMPAIGN | UNIT | MOS | RATE | RESULT | |||
| Roi-Namur | HQ/1/24 | 056 | PFC | ||||
| Saipan | HQ/1/24 | 056 | Corporal | WIA | |||
| Tinian | HQ/1/24 | 056 | Corporal | ||||
| Iwo Jima | HQ/1/24 | 055 | Corporal | ||||
| INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS: Purple Heart |
LAST KNOWN RANK: Corporal |
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John Beard was born in 1921, the son of Manhattan-based subway pipe fitter John Beard Senior and his wife, Catherine.
Beard enlisted in October 1942, sped through boot camp at Parris Island, and was posted to Headquarters, First Separate Battalion (Reinforced) that December. He evidently showed a knack for clerical work, and was quickly promoted to Private First Class and detailed as a postal clerk.
This job was not nearly as cushy as it sounds. Although exempt from most front-line duties, Beard made all four combat landings with his battalion, and received a wound on Saipan that entitled him to wear the Purple Heart. By the end of the war, he was one of the battalion’s most experienced clerks.
Following his discharge on 1 December 1945, John Beard returned to New York City. He died in 1967, and is buried in Long Island National Cemetery, Farmingdale.