PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JOE BILL BEARD
United States Army, World War II
Company K, 357TH Infantry Regiment, 90 Infantry Division
April 15, 2021 - Three days before the new year was celebrated in the east Texas community of Timpson, Shelby County, Joe Bill Beard was born on Monday, December 29, 1924. He was the sixth of eight children raised by Elna Baker and Ernest Franklin Beard, Sr. Older brothers included Arvin Taylor (1911), Carl Hillard (1913), Marvin (1915), Wilburn Thomas (1917) and Haskel (1919). A younger brother, Ernest Franklin, Jr. (1929) and sister Verna Jean (1932) completed the family. Like many at that time, they lived on a farm in rural Shelby County and having a group of young boys to help with the chores was no doubt a blessing. The “Great Depression” of the early 1930’s placed additional hardships on families but the Beard’s persevered and by the 1940 census only three of the children remained at home, Ernest, Jr., Verna Jean and Joe Bill.(1)
Twenty-two days before Joe Bill’s 17th birthday, December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked the US military facilities at Pearl Harbor, Hickam and Wheeler Fields, Hawaii. The United States found itself once again fighting a World War but this time on two fronts, Europe and the Pacific. A year later on his 18th Birthday, December 29, Joe Bill complied with the Selective Service Act of 1940 and registered for the military draft at Local Board # 1, Center, Shelby County, Texas . His Registration Card, DSS Form 1 noted the following; Residence, Box 442, Timpson, Texas; Employer, School; Race, White; Description of Registrant, five foot, six inches tall, 130 pounds with brown eyes and hair and a ruddy complexion.(2)
The following year he was called to duty and took the oath of enlistment in Tyler, Smith County, Texas on December 4, 1943. Joe Bill said goodbye to his family and left home December 27th, two days before his nineteenth birthday and reported to Camp Wolters, Mineral Wells, Texas for shots and military clothing issue. He and other recruits arrived by train at Camp Fannin, an Infantry Replacement Training Center located nine miles north of Tyler on January 3, 1944. Here he underwent seventeen weeks of basic military training learning discipline, dismounted drill, physical training, firing of various weapons and tactics, becoming what the Camp Fannin Handbook called “a capable soldier”.(3)
Graduating from basic training in May 1944, Private Joe Bill Beard, service # 38641205 was assigned as a replacement to Company K, 357th Infantry Regiment of the 90th Infantry Division (“Tough Ombres”). His Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was 745, Rifleman. Joe Bill and the other replacements destined for the 357th Infantry were then sent to Fort George G. Meade for two weeks and then on to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey where they were quartered in preparation for transport to Europe. While here troops sent personal effects home, received needed shots and supplies before loading onto transport ships.
On June 15, 1944, Joe Bill and the replacements for the 357th Infantry Regiment departed for England aboard the 85,000 ton British super-liner, Queen Elizabeth. Also on this very day the 357th captured Gourbesville, France after overcoming fierce enemy resistance and in four days of combat suffered a total of 703 casualties including 133 dead. The regiment Commander, Colonel John W. Sheehy was among those killed. Thirteen days later, June 28, the Queen Elizabeth reached Liverpool, England where they disembarked for the trip to France. PFC Beard and the other replacements may have caught up to their unit in a rest area near the commune of Hauteville, France or shortly thereafter. On July 5, 1944 the 357th began its advance on Beau Coudray, a small town whose capture was to develop into one of the toughest engagements in the entire war. Located forward of strategic high ground, it served as an excellent observation post for the crack German paratroop defenders. By dark, July 7th, the combined remnants of companies “C” and “K” (Joe Bill’s company) had repulsed a total of 14 counterattacks. During six bloody days the 357th Regiment suffered 851 casualties, including 166 dead.(4)
The 90th Division and subordinate units then participated in the Northern France Campaign that began on July 25 and concluded on September 14 with Belgium and most of France liberated from the Germans. The Rhineland Campaign began September 15, 1944 and the long awaited final victory over Nazi Germany seemed close at hand for the Allies but even so there was still savage fighting ahead. Tragically and unknown to Joe Bill at this time, his brother Marvin also serving with the US Army in France was killed in action September 16, 1944. The first part of October 1944 the 357th Regiment was involved in taking the strategic town of Maizière-Les-Metz and during the 27 day battle suffered 552 casualties including 51 dead. They were relieved on November 1st for a short period of training and rehabilitation that was well earned by men who had continually occupied heavily contested front-line positions for over 60 days. On November 7, 1944 according to Regimental History, they began movement to the northeast on a miserably cold night in a pouring rain. The 90th Division had been selected to establish a bridgehead over the Moselle River, something that was considered a major task as it was known that the Germans were prepared to defend to the last. During daylight on the 10th the 357th Regiment entered and crossed the swollen river as constant enemy motor and artillery fire had prevented the construction of a bridge. All supplies that did not include bedrolls and blankets had to be ferried across and hand carried to the front and the men spent miserable nights in the open without even an overcoat. The wooded hills the division attacked were covered by some of the heaviest enemy mortar and artillery concentrations of the war. Enemy entrenchments dug in on the slopes of the steep wooded hills were overrun by the Americans and the defenders annihilated in hand to hand combat. Rifles and hand grenades were the weapons used in this fight. By the 17th the Regiment had broken through the entire enemy defensive line and in two days were at the Nied River in the vicinity of Brecklange, France where they were ordered to stop. The crossing of the Moselle River by the 90th Division brought the personal commendation of the Third Army Commander, General George S. Patton, Jr. and was described by him “as a feat of military arms unsurpassed”.(4)
It was during this savage fighting on Armistice Day [Veterans Day], November 11, 1944 that PFC Joe Bill Beard was wounded by shell fragments that fractured his left tibia [shinbone]. He was admitted to the 110th Evacuation Hospital in Luxembourg that was about 60 miles away. Released November 17, Joe Bill arrived at the 108th General Hospital, APO 877, Paris, France three days later. His mother Elna received a telegram on the 22nd advising her that “Joe Bill was wounded in action and she would be advised as reports of condition are received”. Released on the 25th he was then sent to the 63rd General Hospital, APO 63, Cirencester, England where he remained until January 13, 1945. The Stark General Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina received him on February 4 and three days later he was admitted to the Harmon General Hospital in Longview, Texas to begin rehabilitation.(5) His homecoming was bittersweet as brother Haskell was reported missing in action on January 8 and later confirmed to be a prisoner of war in Germany.
Joe Bill’s comrades of the 357th Regiment fought on through the Battle of the Bulge and the Rhineland Campaign to wars end when Victory in Europe was declared, May 8, 1945. At the end his regiment suffered 953 killed in action and 5,078 wounded in action during 335 days of combat.(4) Family records show that Joe Bill was home on furlough in Garrison, Texas when he heard the news that Nazi Germany had surrendered. On May 24, 1945, after eighteen months of service to his country, Private First Class Joe Bill Beard was honorably discharged and given a Certificate of Disability for wounds received in action. For this service he was awarded the Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars (three campaigns) and the World War II Victory Medal. Also awarded the coveted Combat Infantryman Badge and Rifle Sharpshooter Badge.(6) Newspaper accounts refer to him as being previously wounded in action but confirmation by military records could not be found. May 1945 was a month of joy for the Beard household as they also welcomed home son Haskel who had been a German POW for seven months.
Returning to the Timpson area Joe Bill like many did whatever he could to make a living, at first working his father’s farm along with buying and selling livestock. On August 4, 1947 he married Gearldean Curbow, the widow of his late brother Marvin. Gearldean at the time had three children, Tommy Lynn, Shirley and Barbara. She and Joe Bill had eight more children; Jerry Don, Perry Lee, Ronny, Donny, Randy, Terry, Rebecca and Sandra.
Daughter Becky Beard Palmer told me “I remember him logging pulp wood and at some point we had a cafe in Timpson and also a bait shop/store on Lake Timpson. He bought a dump truck while at the lake and later bought a dozer that he operated. We moved from the lake to Houston in 1963 (kids in the bed of the dump truck) and he went into the construction business. He first worked for Beard & Martin Trucking & later he worked for his other brother’s company Carl Beard Trucking which later became B.W. Beard Trucking. Daddy retired as Supervisor of Operations from B.W. Beard Trucking & Excavating in 1980”.
Joe Bill Beard passed on Thursday, August 14, 2001 at the age of 76. Services were held at the Taylor Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Travis Lunsford officiating. Burial followed in the Cold Springs Cemetery, Garrison, Texas where many other family members rest. He was a member of the Nacogdoches Veterans of Foreign Wars Post [3893], the American Legion and a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans.
He was preceded in death by; sons, Tommy L. Beard and Jerry Beard; grandsons, Joe Marvin Beard and Harlan Culpepper; three infant grandchildren; brothers Marvin, Arvin, Carl, Wilburn and Haskell Beard and one infant sister. He was survived by; his wife Gearldean Curbow Beard of Timpson; sons, Ronny Beard of Fort Worth, Texas, Donny Beard of Magnolia, Texas, Terry Beard of Cypress, Texas, Perry Beard of Eunice, Louisiana and Randy Beard of Dayton, Texas; daughters Shirley Cottongin of Kirbyville, Texas, Barbara West of Timpson, Rebecca Palmer of Tyler and Sandra Beard of Houston; brother E. F. “Red” Beard of Livingston, Texas; sister Jean parker of Tenaha, Texas; twenty-two grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.(7)
We owe Joe Bill Beard and all World War II Veterans a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid as they truly saved the world. “It is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced”…Tom Brokaw, American Journalist. Day is done, God is nigh.
Epilogue: From the family in remembrance of Joe Bill:
Daughter Barbara “ I remember when Micheal & I were living in Nacogdoches and it was Christmas time. We were so broke that we could not travel to Houston to be with the family so Momma, Daddy & kids stopped by our house. After everyone left, I found a $20 bill that Daddy had left. That was his way of helping us out”.
The family felt Joe Bill was a very generous man with a sense of humor and quick wit. Daughter Sandra stated, “an example of his sense of humor showed when he signed some of his letters home from the war with ‘Love, G. I. Joe’”.
Daughter Becky’s favorite example of his humor was a letter he wrote to his younger brother E. F. “I keep me a little house dug just so deep & when I hear them 88s coming, just one jump and I never miss. You know how a frog hits the water when you get close. Well, that’s just the way I look when I hear an 88”.
References:
(1) Year: 1940; Census Place: Timpson, Shelby, Texas; Roll: m-t0627-04136; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 210-20
(2) The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Texas, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 98
(3) Handbook of Information: Infantry Replacement Training Center, Camp Fannin, Texas. US Army, 1944.
(4) Roeder, George. Regimental History of the 357th Infantry. First. Weiden, Oberfalz, Bavaria: Ferdinand Nicki Buchdruckerei, 1945.
(5) “Veterans Administration Insurance Form 357.” Veterans Administration, 1945.
(6) “Army of the United States Honorable Discharge.” Harmon General Hospital, Longview, Texas, May 24, 1945.
(7) “Timpson & Tenaha News.” August 16, 2001, Weekly edition, sec. Obituaries.
