Ladies & Gentlemen,

A MARYLAND SOLDIER IS FINALLY COMING HOME!!!

At this time, American Airlines flight #2314 is bringing home Private First-Class Lawrence Richard “Dick” Beard of the United States Army, Active Duty, from World War II.

Private First-Class Beard is from Westminster, Maryland and enlisted in the United States Army Air Force on February 18, 1941. He was 27 years old at the time of his death.

In late 1941, Private First Class Beard was a member of Headquarters Company, 803rd Engineer Aviation Battalion, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.

Thousands of United States and Filipino service members were captured and interned at Prisoner of War camps. Private First Class Beard was among those reported captured by the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan Prisoner of War camp number one, in Nueva Ecija Province. The conditions at the camp were poor, with food and water extremely limited, leading to widespread malnutrition and outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. More than 2,800 Prisoners of War perished in this camp by the time the camp was liberated in early 1945.

Private First-Class Beard died on November 4, 1942, based on prison camp and other historical records and was buried along with eight other deceased Prisoners of War in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 707.

In 1947 the American Graves Registration Service personnel exhumed those buried at the Cabanatuan Cemetery and sent them to the temporary United States military mausoleum near Manila. After examination only two of the nine soldiers in that grave were identified; the other seven were declare unidentifiable and were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. In 2019 those remains were disinterred and sent to the DPAA Laboratory for further examination. In June of this year after scientific analysis, other documentation, and circumstantial evidence the remains were identified as Private First Class Beard.

On the tarmac to welcome Private First-Class Beard home is his nephew and niece. Escorting his Comrade home is Sergeant Kenneth Altamarino. Joining them are members of the BWI Airport Family, Maryland Patriot Guard Riders, Carroll County Sherif’s Office, Westminster Police Department, Howard County Fire Department, and Knights of Columbus Color Corps.

We thank Private First Class Beard for his service and dedication to Country.

Honors will be conducted as the Dignified Transfer occurs from the plane to the hearse. Please join us in Honoring Private First-Class Lawrence Richard “Dick” Beard by placing your hand over your heart as the Army Honor Guard carries him from the plane to the hearse for his final journey home.

WELCOME HOME “DICK”!!