Jerome Joseph Claude Beau, 91, of Boise, died Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010 at home. Arrangements are pending at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel.
Published in Idaho Statesman on February 5, 2010
Major Jerome J.C. Beau, USMC (Ret.) passed away at his home on 2 February 2010.
Jerry was born on 4 September, 1918 in Calvary, Wisconsin, the eighth of nine children of Henry Simon Beau and Margarete Mary Brost. Jerry came from a musical family; his Mother played piano and guitar and his Father played almost all instruments. Most of the children played in the family dance band "The Wally Beau Orchestra" and two of the brothers Henry (aka Heinie) and Eddie went on to become professional musicians and appeared in a Benny Goodman movie "Sweet, Hot & Low Down" in 1944. Jerry's mother wanted Jerry to learn the violin but changed her mind after she caught him batting crab apples with the instrument. He was taught piano and trumpet and when he joined the Marine Corp his biggest fear was that they would find out about his trumpet playing and make him a bugler. Jerry grew up with firearms and was taught to use and respect them and would carry his twenty-two rifle to school, as did other boys, so that he could check the traps that he set on his way to and from school. He said "You never knew what you were going to find in one of your traps. One time it was a mink, which brought substantially more money than a muskrat, and I became the richest kid in the 3rd grade!" He attended Fond du Lac High School and purchased a Model T Ford with his brother so they wouldn't have to walk miles to school. They eventually sold the car to a Japanese scrap dealer for twice the money they had paid for it. Jerry joined the U.S. Marine Corp on 30 January 1940 because "he wanted to collect souvenirs", or so the story went. He was a "Mustang", starting off as an enlisted man, and then becoming a Marine officer. He was a Marine Raider in B Company (Later K Company) of the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion from 20 September 1942 to 31 January 1944 and participated in campaigns on Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and the Northern Solomon. Jerry was spot commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 28 September 1944. On 18 April 1945 on Okinawa Shima, Ryukuu Islands Jerry had an enemy soldier jump on his back with a grenade, but was able to throw him over and on top of his own grenade. Jerry caught some of the blast and spent years picking shrapnel out that he swore came from his old Model T. Jerry then fought in the Okinawa campaign with C Company, 29th Marines, 6th Marine Division where he was awarded a Bronze Star Metal for his actions on a mound of rock and dirt called Meat Loaf Hill. Okinawa was secured on 21 June 1945 with nearly 7,000 American killed out of 25,000 total casualties. On 27 June 1945 while on night jungle patrol Jerry was bitten by a viper called a "habu". Habu are deadly poisonous but Jerry refused to let them take his arm off and spent two months in the 9th Station Hospital (Army) where he declined a purple heart that was offered to him by an Army officer who did not know that Jerry was a Marine! On 25 Aug 1945 Jerry was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and became Adjutant to the Battalion on 20 Sep 1945. He ended up going to China from 30 Sep 1945 to 2 April 1946. While in China Jerry was able to see the Walled City, the old section of Shanghai which is surrounded by 50 foot high walls that are 30 feet thick, and while at Peking, he got to see the Temple of Heaven, the Imperial City, the Forbidden City, the Winter Palace and the Royal Park. It was a historian's dream come true for Jerry. Jerry returned to the states in late April 1946 and served temporary duty at Headquarters Marine Corp in Washington DC before being sent to Seattle, WA. During his tour in the South Pacific Jerry had learned the complexities of amphibious operations and loading and embarkation plans and, being a souvenir collector, acquired plans of every ship his was on. He continued taking classes, collecting more plans, and developed a network of people highly knowledgeable about loading and unloading ships. He found that his skills were highly sought after by the Navy during the Korean War. On 20 June 1947 Jerry assumed the duty of Inspector Instructor, D Company, 11th Infantry Battalion in Spokane, WA. While in Spokane, Jerry met Grace (Orchard) Bunch, who had been widowed the prior December. Grace wanted nothing to do with Jerry at that time but he stayed in contact and eventually won her heart. They were married on 30 November 1949, a marriage that was to last a month short of fifty years. When the Korean War broke out, Capt. Beau was assigned to the U.S. Naval Forces, Far East where he participated in the amphibious assault training and re-deployment of four infantry divisions between Japan and Korea; some 62,000 men along with their associated equipment and vehicles. Before he retired from the Marine Corp on 30 June 1964, Major Beau completed three years assigned to the Central Intelligence Agency and another three with the National Security Agency. He would not discuss those six years of service except to say that "he had no love for a certain Idaho Senator who tried to neuter the CIA". After Marine retirement Jerry worked for the Fidelity National Bank in Filer, Idaho, managed apartments in Twin Falls, Idaho, and then in 1975 he and Grace built their final home in Boise, Idaho. In 1979, with Grace's encouragement and assistance, Jerry started looking for names of old friends he had served with in B/K Company, 3rd Marine Raider Battalion. He began securing muster roles of the company from the National Archives and the Marine Corps Historical Center. Then he started gathering muster rolls of the other companies in the battalion and eventually of all the Raider Battalions. Finally in 1996 he published a compilation of every Marine and Navy man who served in the U.S. Marine Raiders during WWII, those wounded in action, killed in action, missing in action and their decoration awards. Jerry was still providing information to grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Raiders up until the time of his passing. He will be sorely missed. Jerry, we salute you! Semper Fidelis Jerry was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Grace, his father and mother, five brothers, and two sisters. He is survived by a sister, Lucille S. Murphey, two daughters Patricia A. Fisher and Erlene L. Fields, granddaughters Melissa Beau, Krystal Fisher, Danielle Fisher, LeeAnn Fields, grandsons Robert Lightfoot, Michael Lightfoot, and Tim Fields, and numerous great-grandchildren.
Cremation is under the direction of Alden-Waggoner. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 20, 2010 at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel, 5400 Fairview Ave., Boise.
Internment will follow at Morris Hill Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the United States Marine Corps.
Published in Idaho Statesman on February 14, 2010
Published in Idaho Statesman on February 5, 2010
Major Jerome J.C. Beau, USMC (Ret.) passed away at his home on 2 February 2010.
Jerry was born on 4 September, 1918 in Calvary, Wisconsin, the eighth of nine children of Henry Simon Beau and Margarete Mary Brost. Jerry came from a musical family; his Mother played piano and guitar and his Father played almost all instruments. Most of the children played in the family dance band "The Wally Beau Orchestra" and two of the brothers Henry (aka Heinie) and Eddie went on to become professional musicians and appeared in a Benny Goodman movie "Sweet, Hot & Low Down" in 1944. Jerry's mother wanted Jerry to learn the violin but changed her mind after she caught him batting crab apples with the instrument. He was taught piano and trumpet and when he joined the Marine Corp his biggest fear was that they would find out about his trumpet playing and make him a bugler. Jerry grew up with firearms and was taught to use and respect them and would carry his twenty-two rifle to school, as did other boys, so that he could check the traps that he set on his way to and from school. He said "You never knew what you were going to find in one of your traps. One time it was a mink, which brought substantially more money than a muskrat, and I became the richest kid in the 3rd grade!" He attended Fond du Lac High School and purchased a Model T Ford with his brother so they wouldn't have to walk miles to school. They eventually sold the car to a Japanese scrap dealer for twice the money they had paid for it. Jerry joined the U.S. Marine Corp on 30 January 1940 because "he wanted to collect souvenirs", or so the story went. He was a "Mustang", starting off as an enlisted man, and then becoming a Marine officer. He was a Marine Raider in B Company (Later K Company) of the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion from 20 September 1942 to 31 January 1944 and participated in campaigns on Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and the Northern Solomon. Jerry was spot commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 28 September 1944. On 18 April 1945 on Okinawa Shima, Ryukuu Islands Jerry had an enemy soldier jump on his back with a grenade, but was able to throw him over and on top of his own grenade. Jerry caught some of the blast and spent years picking shrapnel out that he swore came from his old Model T. Jerry then fought in the Okinawa campaign with C Company, 29th Marines, 6th Marine Division where he was awarded a Bronze Star Metal for his actions on a mound of rock and dirt called Meat Loaf Hill. Okinawa was secured on 21 June 1945 with nearly 7,000 American killed out of 25,000 total casualties. On 27 June 1945 while on night jungle patrol Jerry was bitten by a viper called a "habu". Habu are deadly poisonous but Jerry refused to let them take his arm off and spent two months in the 9th Station Hospital (Army) where he declined a purple heart that was offered to him by an Army officer who did not know that Jerry was a Marine! On 25 Aug 1945 Jerry was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and became Adjutant to the Battalion on 20 Sep 1945. He ended up going to China from 30 Sep 1945 to 2 April 1946. While in China Jerry was able to see the Walled City, the old section of Shanghai which is surrounded by 50 foot high walls that are 30 feet thick, and while at Peking, he got to see the Temple of Heaven, the Imperial City, the Forbidden City, the Winter Palace and the Royal Park. It was a historian's dream come true for Jerry. Jerry returned to the states in late April 1946 and served temporary duty at Headquarters Marine Corp in Washington DC before being sent to Seattle, WA. During his tour in the South Pacific Jerry had learned the complexities of amphibious operations and loading and embarkation plans and, being a souvenir collector, acquired plans of every ship his was on. He continued taking classes, collecting more plans, and developed a network of people highly knowledgeable about loading and unloading ships. He found that his skills were highly sought after by the Navy during the Korean War. On 20 June 1947 Jerry assumed the duty of Inspector Instructor, D Company, 11th Infantry Battalion in Spokane, WA. While in Spokane, Jerry met Grace (Orchard) Bunch, who had been widowed the prior December. Grace wanted nothing to do with Jerry at that time but he stayed in contact and eventually won her heart. They were married on 30 November 1949, a marriage that was to last a month short of fifty years. When the Korean War broke out, Capt. Beau was assigned to the U.S. Naval Forces, Far East where he participated in the amphibious assault training and re-deployment of four infantry divisions between Japan and Korea; some 62,000 men along with their associated equipment and vehicles. Before he retired from the Marine Corp on 30 June 1964, Major Beau completed three years assigned to the Central Intelligence Agency and another three with the National Security Agency. He would not discuss those six years of service except to say that "he had no love for a certain Idaho Senator who tried to neuter the CIA". After Marine retirement Jerry worked for the Fidelity National Bank in Filer, Idaho, managed apartments in Twin Falls, Idaho, and then in 1975 he and Grace built their final home in Boise, Idaho. In 1979, with Grace's encouragement and assistance, Jerry started looking for names of old friends he had served with in B/K Company, 3rd Marine Raider Battalion. He began securing muster roles of the company from the National Archives and the Marine Corps Historical Center. Then he started gathering muster rolls of the other companies in the battalion and eventually of all the Raider Battalions. Finally in 1996 he published a compilation of every Marine and Navy man who served in the U.S. Marine Raiders during WWII, those wounded in action, killed in action, missing in action and their decoration awards. Jerry was still providing information to grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Raiders up until the time of his passing. He will be sorely missed. Jerry, we salute you! Semper Fidelis Jerry was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Grace, his father and mother, five brothers, and two sisters. He is survived by a sister, Lucille S. Murphey, two daughters Patricia A. Fisher and Erlene L. Fields, granddaughters Melissa Beau, Krystal Fisher, Danielle Fisher, LeeAnn Fields, grandsons Robert Lightfoot, Michael Lightfoot, and Tim Fields, and numerous great-grandchildren.
Cremation is under the direction of Alden-Waggoner. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 20, 2010 at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel, 5400 Fairview Ave., Boise.
Internment will follow at Morris Hill Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the United States Marine Corps.
Published in Idaho Statesman on February 14, 2010
Jerome Joseph Claude Beau, 91, of Boise, died Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010 at home. Arrangements are pending at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel.
Published in Idaho Statesman on February 5, 2010
Major Jerome J.C. Beau, USMC (Ret.) passed away at his home on 2 February 2010.
Jerry was born on 4 September, 1918 in Calvary, Wisconsin, the eighth of nine children of Henry Simon Beau and Margarete Mary Brost. Jerry came from a musical family; his Mother played piano and guitar and his Father played almost all instruments. Most of the children played in the family dance band "The Wally Beau Orchestra" and two of the brothers Henry (aka Heinie) and Eddie went on to become professional musicians and appeared in a Benny Goodman movie "Sweet, Hot & Low Down" in 1944. Jerry's mother wanted Jerry to learn the violin but changed her mind after she caught him batting crab apples with the instrument. He was taught piano and trumpet and when he joined the Marine Corp his biggest fear was that they would find out about his trumpet playing and make him a bugler. Jerry grew up with firearms and was taught to use and respect them and would carry his twenty-two rifle to school, as did other boys, so that he could check the traps that he set on his way to and from school. He said "You never knew what you were going to find in one of your traps. One time it was a mink, which brought substantially more money than a muskrat, and I became the richest kid in the 3rd grade!" He attended Fond du Lac High School and purchased a Model T Ford with his brother so they wouldn't have to walk miles to school. They eventually sold the car to a Japanese scrap dealer for twice the money they had paid for it. Jerry joined the U.S. Marine Corp on 30 January 1940 because "he wanted to collect souvenirs", or so the story went. He was a "Mustang", starting off as an enlisted man, and then becoming a Marine officer. He was a Marine Raider in B Company (Later K Company) of the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion from 20 September 1942 to 31 January 1944 and participated in campaigns on Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and the Northern Solomon. Jerry was spot commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 28 September 1944. On 18 April 1945 on Okinawa Shima, Ryukuu Islands Jerry had an enemy soldier jump on his back with a grenade, but was able to throw him over and on top of his own grenade. Jerry caught some of the blast and spent years picking shrapnel out that he swore came from his old Model T. Jerry then fought in the Okinawa campaign with C Company, 29th Marines, 6th Marine Division where he was awarded a Bronze Star Metal for his actions on a mound of rock and dirt called Meat Loaf Hill. Okinawa was secured on 21 June 1945 with nearly 7,000 American killed out of 25,000 total casualties. On 27 June 1945 while on night jungle patrol Jerry was bitten by a viper called a "habu". Habu are deadly poisonous but Jerry refused to let them take his arm off and spent two months in the 9th Station Hospital (Army) where he declined a purple heart that was offered to him by an Army officer who did not know that Jerry was a Marine! On 25 Aug 1945 Jerry was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and became Adjutant to the Battalion on 20 Sep 1945. He ended up going to China from 30 Sep 1945 to 2 April 1946. While in China Jerry was able to see the Walled City, the old section of Shanghai which is surrounded by 50 foot high walls that are 30 feet thick, and while at Peking, he got to see the Temple of Heaven, the Imperial City, the Forbidden City, the Winter Palace and the Royal Park. It was a historian's dream come true for Jerry. Jerry returned to the states in late April 1946 and served temporary duty at Headquarters Marine Corp in Washington DC before being sent to Seattle, WA. During his tour in the South Pacific Jerry had learned the complexities of amphibious operations and loading and embarkation plans and, being a souvenir collector, acquired plans of every ship his was on. He continued taking classes, collecting more plans, and developed a network of people highly knowledgeable about loading and unloading ships. He found that his skills were highly sought after by the Navy during the Korean War. On 20 June 1947 Jerry assumed the duty of Inspector Instructor, D Company, 11th Infantry Battalion in Spokane, WA. While in Spokane, Jerry met Grace (Orchard) Bunch, who had been widowed the prior December. Grace wanted nothing to do with Jerry at that time but he stayed in contact and eventually won her heart. They were married on 30 November 1949, a marriage that was to last a month short of fifty years. When the Korean War broke out, Capt. Beau was assigned to the U.S. Naval Forces, Far East where he participated in the amphibious assault training and re-deployment of four infantry divisions between Japan and Korea; some 62,000 men along with their associated equipment and vehicles. Before he retired from the Marine Corp on 30 June 1964, Major Beau completed three years assigned to the Central Intelligence Agency and another three with the National Security Agency. He would not discuss those six years of service except to say that "he had no love for a certain Idaho Senator who tried to neuter the CIA". After Marine retirement Jerry worked for the Fidelity National Bank in Filer, Idaho, managed apartments in Twin Falls, Idaho, and then in 1975 he and Grace built their final home in Boise, Idaho. In 1979, with Grace's encouragement and assistance, Jerry started looking for names of old friends he had served with in B/K Company, 3rd Marine Raider Battalion. He began securing muster roles of the company from the National Archives and the Marine Corps Historical Center. Then he started gathering muster rolls of the other companies in the battalion and eventually of all the Raider Battalions. Finally in 1996 he published a compilation of every Marine and Navy man who served in the U.S. Marine Raiders during WWII, those wounded in action, killed in action, missing in action and their decoration awards. Jerry was still providing information to grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Raiders up until the time of his passing. He will be sorely missed. Jerry, we salute you! Semper Fidelis Jerry was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Grace, his father and mother, five brothers, and two sisters. He is survived by a sister, Lucille S. Murphey, two daughters Patricia A. Fisher and Erlene L. Fields, granddaughters Melissa Beau, Krystal Fisher, Danielle Fisher, LeeAnn Fields, grandsons Robert Lightfoot, Michael Lightfoot, and Tim Fields, and numerous great-grandchildren.
Cremation is under the direction of Alden-Waggoner. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 20, 2010 at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel, 5400 Fairview Ave., Boise.
Internment will follow at Morris Hill Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the United States Marine Corps.
Published in Idaho Statesman on February 14, 2010
Published in Idaho Statesman on February 5, 2010
Major Jerome J.C. Beau, USMC (Ret.) passed away at his home on 2 February 2010.
Jerry was born on 4 September, 1918 in Calvary, Wisconsin, the eighth of nine children of Henry Simon Beau and Margarete Mary Brost. Jerry came from a musical family; his Mother played piano and guitar and his Father played almost all instruments. Most of the children played in the family dance band "The Wally Beau Orchestra" and two of the brothers Henry (aka Heinie) and Eddie went on to become professional musicians and appeared in a Benny Goodman movie "Sweet, Hot & Low Down" in 1944. Jerry's mother wanted Jerry to learn the violin but changed her mind after she caught him batting crab apples with the instrument. He was taught piano and trumpet and when he joined the Marine Corp his biggest fear was that they would find out about his trumpet playing and make him a bugler. Jerry grew up with firearms and was taught to use and respect them and would carry his twenty-two rifle to school, as did other boys, so that he could check the traps that he set on his way to and from school. He said "You never knew what you were going to find in one of your traps. One time it was a mink, which brought substantially more money than a muskrat, and I became the richest kid in the 3rd grade!" He attended Fond du Lac High School and purchased a Model T Ford with his brother so they wouldn't have to walk miles to school. They eventually sold the car to a Japanese scrap dealer for twice the money they had paid for it. Jerry joined the U.S. Marine Corp on 30 January 1940 because "he wanted to collect souvenirs", or so the story went. He was a "Mustang", starting off as an enlisted man, and then becoming a Marine officer. He was a Marine Raider in B Company (Later K Company) of the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion from 20 September 1942 to 31 January 1944 and participated in campaigns on Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and the Northern Solomon. Jerry was spot commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 28 September 1944. On 18 April 1945 on Okinawa Shima, Ryukuu Islands Jerry had an enemy soldier jump on his back with a grenade, but was able to throw him over and on top of his own grenade. Jerry caught some of the blast and spent years picking shrapnel out that he swore came from his old Model T. Jerry then fought in the Okinawa campaign with C Company, 29th Marines, 6th Marine Division where he was awarded a Bronze Star Metal for his actions on a mound of rock and dirt called Meat Loaf Hill. Okinawa was secured on 21 June 1945 with nearly 7,000 American killed out of 25,000 total casualties. On 27 June 1945 while on night jungle patrol Jerry was bitten by a viper called a "habu". Habu are deadly poisonous but Jerry refused to let them take his arm off and spent two months in the 9th Station Hospital (Army) where he declined a purple heart that was offered to him by an Army officer who did not know that Jerry was a Marine! On 25 Aug 1945 Jerry was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and became Adjutant to the Battalion on 20 Sep 1945. He ended up going to China from 30 Sep 1945 to 2 April 1946. While in China Jerry was able to see the Walled City, the old section of Shanghai which is surrounded by 50 foot high walls that are 30 feet thick, and while at Peking, he got to see the Temple of Heaven, the Imperial City, the Forbidden City, the Winter Palace and the Royal Park. It was a historian's dream come true for Jerry. Jerry returned to the states in late April 1946 and served temporary duty at Headquarters Marine Corp in Washington DC before being sent to Seattle, WA. During his tour in the South Pacific Jerry had learned the complexities of amphibious operations and loading and embarkation plans and, being a souvenir collector, acquired plans of every ship his was on. He continued taking classes, collecting more plans, and developed a network of people highly knowledgeable about loading and unloading ships. He found that his skills were highly sought after by the Navy during the Korean War. On 20 June 1947 Jerry assumed the duty of Inspector Instructor, D Company, 11th Infantry Battalion in Spokane, WA. While in Spokane, Jerry met Grace (Orchard) Bunch, who had been widowed the prior December. Grace wanted nothing to do with Jerry at that time but he stayed in contact and eventually won her heart. They were married on 30 November 1949, a marriage that was to last a month short of fifty years. When the Korean War broke out, Capt. Beau was assigned to the U.S. Naval Forces, Far East where he participated in the amphibious assault training and re-deployment of four infantry divisions between Japan and Korea; some 62,000 men along with their associated equipment and vehicles. Before he retired from the Marine Corp on 30 June 1964, Major Beau completed three years assigned to the Central Intelligence Agency and another three with the National Security Agency. He would not discuss those six years of service except to say that "he had no love for a certain Idaho Senator who tried to neuter the CIA". After Marine retirement Jerry worked for the Fidelity National Bank in Filer, Idaho, managed apartments in Twin Falls, Idaho, and then in 1975 he and Grace built their final home in Boise, Idaho. In 1979, with Grace's encouragement and assistance, Jerry started looking for names of old friends he had served with in B/K Company, 3rd Marine Raider Battalion. He began securing muster roles of the company from the National Archives and the Marine Corps Historical Center. Then he started gathering muster rolls of the other companies in the battalion and eventually of all the Raider Battalions. Finally in 1996 he published a compilation of every Marine and Navy man who served in the U.S. Marine Raiders during WWII, those wounded in action, killed in action, missing in action and their decoration awards. Jerry was still providing information to grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Raiders up until the time of his passing. He will be sorely missed. Jerry, we salute you! Semper Fidelis Jerry was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Grace, his father and mother, five brothers, and two sisters. He is survived by a sister, Lucille S. Murphey, two daughters Patricia A. Fisher and Erlene L. Fields, granddaughters Melissa Beau, Krystal Fisher, Danielle Fisher, LeeAnn Fields, grandsons Robert Lightfoot, Michael Lightfoot, and Tim Fields, and numerous great-grandchildren.
Cremation is under the direction of Alden-Waggoner. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 20, 2010 at the Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel, 5400 Fairview Ave., Boise.
Internment will follow at Morris Hill Cemetery with Military Honors provided by the United States Marine Corps.
Published in Idaho Statesman on February 14, 2010
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