RAYMOND FREDERICK BEAUCHAMP

Panel : 34W Line: 090

Army

Private First Class

Pay grade E3

Killed in action January 27, 1969 by ground casualty by an explosive device hostile, died in Dinh Tuong South Vietnam. The body was recovered. Home of record was EASTLAKE, OH. Born December 15, 1944 age at death 24. A Caucasian Male, Single. Religious affiliation Roman Catholic.

CAACF Record Number : 51839495

Comments by SGT Dan Ziegler, B Co. 6/31st:

Raymond Beauchamp was not in second squad of the second platoon, of which I was assigned.  On a company size operation in an agricultural area north east of Dong Tam, second squad and other members of Bravo Company were ordered to sweep off trail and on line through a landscape of mixed secondary forest and rice paddies.  During the sweep and in a wooded area, off to my left I heard a loud metallic explosion.  Raymond Beauchamp was killed instantly and an Afro-American soldier was seriously wounded.  The Afro-American soldier was extracted via medevac.  Four men carried PFC Beauchamp's body in a poncho to the company CP. One of those four men was me.

Comments by John Raffo:

I would like to add comments about BEAUCHAMP.
It's been a long time. I believe he was in gun crew (M60) I was senior man in that crew. We were making a line sweep, I believe battalion sweep. The operation from the beginning was bad news. We sat on a road for a long time, I think overnight, and these piper cub planes dropped Chu Hoi pamphlets that said, "you are surrounded, give up." So, the enemy di-di and left a bunch of booby traps. Then we started the sweep, we weren't into it too long and we ran into bamboo (this I remember vividly, it's been going through my mind since I came home). I was last man in B Co. The bamboo split us up, I went left with my friend Pat Rizzo who was the first guy in Delta Co. The rest went down the trail on the right. I was about half way down past bamboo thicket when there was big explosion on my right. I ran down to the end of the bamboo and started coming up the right side of it. They started yelling trail has mines. So I went to the left in some mud and came up. Beauchamp was dead and medevaced, black soldier, Ed Frazier, legs were tore up. I helped put him on slick. I held poncho at his feet. I have tried to track him down but no luck. The reason I know his name is from copy of morning report. He wasn't in the company long. I called him Teddy Bear. I spent time with Beauchamp, in the day and at night in our position.  He was a nice guy, a good Man.  I don't know what else to say. I wish it never happened. He was from Ohio and he was a innocent, Midwestern guy. I guess that's what GOD wanted. Bless you Beauchamp.