World War II Honoree

Lonnie Edward Beard

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Wheat Ridge, Colorado

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. On January 6, 1943, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps from Colorado. His boot camp training took place with the Third Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base in San Diego, California. Later he completed his Marine Combat Training at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. Served in Company-K as a Rifleman, Third Battalion, Twenty-Second Marine Regiment, and a subordinate unit of the Sixth Marine Division. His division participated in the Battle of Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands against the Imperial Japanese and Naval forces (Battle Dates: Easter Sunday, April 1–June 22, 1945) Code Name: Operation Iceberg. He died of wounds encountered on the battlefield, Thursday, May 10, 1945 and buried in the Sixth Marine Division Cemetery on Okinawa. After the cessation of hostilities with Japan, the family of this Marine requested that his remains be transferred to Honolulu. He was laid to rest, March 3, 1949 in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, ‘Punchbowl’ Hawaii. He received the following awards posthumously: Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. The Bronze was awarded for Bravery, Act of Merit and Meritorious Service in Combat. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.