BEERS, JACK BLAINE
BEERS, JACK BLAINE
Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army
Company B, 3d Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne
Brigade,
Date of Action: April 7, 1969
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Jack
Blaine Beers, Sergeant First Class, U.S. 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.
HQ US
Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 1728 (May 14, 1969)
Home Town: Clarksville, Tennessee
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