THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us....

John, "JB" as you were know while with HHC 1Bn 69th Armor. You were a good friend, our commo' officers driver and the driver for our APC.

I will never forget the night of March 4/5. HHC was on an eighteen hour march to LZ Bass to backup our B Co. I was driving our 3/4 ton pulling a trailer that was overloaded. You were driving our APC behind me with the rest of our crew in it. I was the lead vehicle behind the tanks and was way behind as the 3/4 ton would spin out trying to get up the hills on that dirt road. Finally the captain called for the tanks to wait a bit and you said you would push the trailer with the APC. I would feel the bump on the trailer and the diesel roar, and over the hill we would go.

I learned of your passing many years later, thanks to the internet. I had processed out of country about a week before that. Our friend Tom left country about a month before I did.

Tom R.
[email protected]

SP4 John Willard Beitlich was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star (Merit) and the Purple Heart.

DEAR SPEC 4 BEITLICH,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. I DO NOT KNOW YOUR MOS, BUT YOU HAD THE GUTS TO SERVE. IT IS A NEW YEAR, WHICH MAKES IT FAR TOO LONG FOR YOU TO HAVE BEEN GONE. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE, AND YOUR SACRIFICE. WATCH OVER THE U.S.A., IT STILL NEEDS YOUR COURAGE.. GOD BLESS YOU. MAY THE SAINTS AND ANGELS BE AT YOUR SIDE. REST IN PEACE.

Thank you Spec 4 Beitlich for your leadership and exemplary courage under fire.