World War II Honoree

Gerald Joseph Beaupré

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Dexter, Maine

Honored By

Anne Beaupré Stefaniak & Gerald James Beaupré

Relationship

His Family

JOINED THE ARMY AS A VOLUNTEER, SERVING THREE YEARS FROM FEBRUARY 15, 1943 TO JANUARY 26, 1946. PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. AS A MEMBER OF THE ARMY'S SPECIAL FORCES, THE MERRILL'S MARAUDERS, COMPANY I, 5307TH COMPOSITE UNIT, HE WAS TRAINED IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT AND SMALL WEAPONS USE AND EARNED SHARPSHOOTER STATUS. HE SERVED AS AN INFANTRYMAN IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER, WHERE HE SUSTAINED A SHRAPNEL WOUND TO HIS LEFT LEG. BECAUSE HIS UNIT HAD MARCHED DEEP INTO THE JUNGLE, IT WAS A NUMBER OF MONTHS BEFORE IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO BE TRANSPORTED OUT OF THE THICK JUNGLE TERRAIN WHEN THEY WERE WOUNDED. AFTER HIS RETURN TO THE STATES IN MARCH 1945, HE SPENT SEVERAL MORE MONTHS IN THE HOSPITAL, RECUPERATING FROM HIS AGGRAVATED WOUND AND SEVERE MALNUTRITION, WHICH HAD REDUCED THIS 6-FOOT-1-INCH MAN TO A MERE 65 POUNDS. AFTER DISCHARGE FROM THE HOSPITAL, HE GUARDED GERMAN WAR PRISONERS AT FORT WETHERILL IN RHODE ISLAND. RECEIVED AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE FROM THE ARMY ON JANUARY 26, 1946. AWARDED A PURPLE HEART, AMERICAN THEATER CAMPAIGN RIBBON, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH BRONZE SERVICE STAR, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.