Odell Daniel Beasley

Private First Class
E CO, 2ND BN, 501ST INFANTRY, 101 ABN DIV
Army of the United States
20 August 1947 - 13 May 1969
Texarkana, Arkansas
Panel 25W Line 098

101 ABN DIV

501ST INF RGT
Combat Infantry

Bronze Star, Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Odell Daniel Beasley

26 Apr 2006

I met "OD" when he was 17, we were both in high school, he was a very quiet person. We dated for 4 years, then we married. We were married for six months, we have a son who he saw the week he was born and then again three and one half months later before he was shipped to Vietnam where he was killed one month later. OD was 21. It's 37 years later and I still miss him, his son never knew him.

Gussie Lee Beasley
30 Preston Circle, Texarkana, Arkansas 71854
028gussie@wmconnect.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall

Fire Support Base AIRBORNE was located on the northern point of a ridgeline which ran parallel to the A Shau Valley in western Thua Thien Province. In early May 1969 FSB AIRBORNE was manned by three artillery batteries protected by elements of the 2nd Bn, 501st Infantry. On the night of 12/13 May the base was attacked by the 6th NVA Regiment supported by 46 men from the K-12 Sapper Bn. The bloody fight which followed left 27 Americans dead and at least 61 wounded. NVA losses were not accurately known since the attackers had, as usual, taken as many of their dead with them as was possible, but 39 NVA bodies were left behind. C Btry 2/319 Arty and A Co 2/501st Infantry had borne the brunt of the attack:
  • C Btry, 2nd Bn, 319th Artillery
    • CPT Moulton L. Freeman, Port St Joe, FL
    • SSG Kenneth T. Cruise, San Francisco, CA
    • SP5 James R. Gohagin, Atmore, AL
    • SGT James C. Harper, Nicholls, GA
    • SGT Bobby G. Lawrence, Sacramento, CA
    • SGT Francis L. Souza, Orange, CA
    • CPL Edward A. Clarke, Downingtown, PA
    • SP4 Eric B. Johnson, Laurens, IA
    • SP4 Richard R. Kelley, Weymouth, MA
    • SP4 Arlen J. Miller, Emmaus, PA
    • SP4 Roger D. Ross, Hayward, CA
    • CPL Thomas W. Sadler, Oakland, CA
    • CPL William F. Silver, Vinton, VA
    • PFC Warren P. Nix, Los Angeles, CA

  • A Co, 2nd Bn, 501st Infantry
    • 2LT Bruce Saunders, New York, NY
    • SGT Oscar D. Boydston, San Francisco, CA
    • SP4 Carl F. Arbogast, Marquette, MI
    • SP4 Donald J. Corbett, Adel, GA
    • CPL Ernest L. Gordon, Birmingham, AL
    • CPL Robert R. Malecki, Chicago, IL
    • SP4 Samuel C. Tharpe, Bentonville, VA
    • PFC Cleabern W. Hill, Stantonville, TN
    • PFC William D. Poole, Marietta, SC
    • PFC Lynn C. Swanson, Argyle, MN

  • C Co, 2nd Bn, 501st Infantry
  • E Co, 2nd Bn, 501st Infantry
    • PFC Odell D. Beasley, Texarkana, AR (Bronze Star "V")
    • PFC James M. Thompson, Independence, MO


The point-of-contact for this memorial is
his wife,
Gussie Lee Beasley
30 Preston Circle, Texarkana, Arkansas 71854
028gussie@wmconnect.com
26 Apr 2006



Top of Page

Virtual Wall icon
www.VirtualWall.org

Back to
To alpha index B
AR State Index . Panel 25W
501ST INF RGT Index

Webmaster@VirtualWall.org



With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Last updated 05/02/2006