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SSG William Joseph “BJ” Beardsley

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SSG William Joseph “BJ” Beardsley Veteran

Birth
Muskogee, Muskogee County, Oklahoma, USA
Death
26 Feb 2007 (aged 25)
Iraq
Burial
Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA Add to Map
Plot
Section 60 Site 8626
Memorial ID
View Source
SSG US Army
260th Quartermaster Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Troop Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort Stewart, GA

He died in Diwaniyah of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. BJ moved to Germany at a young age with his military family. The family later moved to Jesup, Georgia where he served three years in the Air Force ROTC program as a member of the color guard at Wayne County High School. He was among 5 percent of the student corps to receive an achievement award and was recognized for his academic excellence. At the age of 16, he returned to Oklahoma and graduated from Tahlequah High School. Upon graduation, BJ returned to Georgia for a short time before joining the Army. He left the Army briefly to work as a landscape contractor with his father but he missed the structure of the military life so he re-enlisted in the Army in December 2005 with the idea of making it his career. As a member of the 260th Quartermaster Battalion, he did many different things, including providing security for convoys. BJ was quiet, respectful and had a great smile. He had a Southern politeness about him but was quick-witted and loved the military and his country. He enjoyed running heavy equipment for the family excavating company and also had a passion for playing baseball, softball, golf, hunting and watching sports. His greatest passion, next to his wife and kids, was motorcycling, of which he owned a Harley and a Suzuki GSXR. His biggest fear was that his children would forget him if he died because of their very young ages. He asked his family to be sure and let his kids know who he was if something happened to him.
SSG US Army
260th Quartermaster Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Troop Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort Stewart, GA

He died in Diwaniyah of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. BJ moved to Germany at a young age with his military family. The family later moved to Jesup, Georgia where he served three years in the Air Force ROTC program as a member of the color guard at Wayne County High School. He was among 5 percent of the student corps to receive an achievement award and was recognized for his academic excellence. At the age of 16, he returned to Oklahoma and graduated from Tahlequah High School. Upon graduation, BJ returned to Georgia for a short time before joining the Army. He left the Army briefly to work as a landscape contractor with his father but he missed the structure of the military life so he re-enlisted in the Army in December 2005 with the idea of making it his career. As a member of the 260th Quartermaster Battalion, he did many different things, including providing security for convoys. BJ was quiet, respectful and had a great smile. He had a Southern politeness about him but was quick-witted and loved the military and his country. He enjoyed running heavy equipment for the family excavating company and also had a passion for playing baseball, softball, golf, hunting and watching sports. His greatest passion, next to his wife and kids, was motorcycling, of which he owned a Harley and a Suzuki GSXR. His biggest fear was that his children would forget him if he died because of their very young ages. He asked his family to be sure and let his kids know who he was if something happened to him.

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