More detail on this person: Gary P Beaulieu, LTC (R) Classes 64-5/64-8, RVN 603rd TC 188th ASHC (1967-1968), aged 84, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sep 4, 2018, at his residence at Bedford Falls in Bedford, NH. Gary was born in Presque Isle, Maine on September 27, 1933 to Antone and Erma (Ford) Beaulieu. He graduated from Presque Isle High School in 1952 and the University of Maine, Orono, in 1956. He spent many summers working for his father at Tower's Drug Store on Main Street in Ogunquit, Maine. Gary was a highly decorated veteran of the US Army, retiring after a 20-year career with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. As a Transportation Officer, Gary was qualified to fly both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, and he served in various positions including G-4 of the 8th Infantry Division, in Bad Kreuznach, West Germany and Project Manager for Logistics Development of the Army's Apache Helicopter Gunship in St. Louis, Missouri. As a young pilot in the 1950's he was chosen to participate in the fledgling NASA space organization as a candidate to fly in the Mercury space program, but did not have enough experience flying jets to make the final cut. Gary served in Vietnam in 1967-68 at the rank of Major responsible for up to 200 men and 50-60 "Huey" helicopters supporting the vaunted 101st "Screaming Eagles" Airborne Division. He participated in numerous combat missions and rescue operations during his tour of duty. For his heroic efforts in rescuing a company of Marines taking heavy fire, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He also was awarded the Bronze Star, eight Army Flying Medals and several other commendations while in Vietnam. Like many veterans, he did not like to talk about his combat experiences and he was always humble in describing his actions. He describes one of the highlights of his career as meeting one of the Marines he saved almost 45 years later. After his retirement from the Army, Gary worked in the Florida health care industry as Vice President for several nursing home chains. His facilities always focused on the care and dignity of the residents, and he received numerous awards from the state for the level of care provided. Additionally, the facilities he managed always ran profitably. His philosophy was always to hire, train, manage and reward the best possible staff, knowing that a quality, happy staff would provide the best care for the residents. His staff routinely described Gary as "the best boss I have ever had". Gary's accomplishments in the field of senior healthcare were recognized by his nomination to Secretary of the Florida Health Care Association and later to his appointment on the Board of Directors. He supported many local charitable organizations, but was most proud of his service as the Director of the United Way of Orlando. Gary played drums during his school years through college and formed lifelong friendships with members of his bands. He was an accomplished artist, working with oil, watercolor, pastels, charcoal, and metal sculpture. He also enjoyed sports cars, motorcycles, travel, and pickle ball. In his later years after full retirement, his favorite activity was socializing during the weekly gatherings of the "Band of Brothers", a passionate group of veterans in The Villages, Florida. Gary spent a good amount of time and resources supporting his fellow veterans whenever he could. He was one of the veterans featured in William F. Brown's book "Our Vietnam Wars: as told by 100 veterans who served". Gary is survived by his son, Michael ("Murray"), daughter-in-law Sharon (McHugh) and two grandchildren who made him very proud, Antone ("Tony") and Renee. Details for a service are TBA. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Gary's favorite charity, Disabled American Veterans. Link: http://cst.dav.org/donate/DonateNow.aspx Gary's family would like to thank the staff at Bedford Falls for their incredibly compassionate care. Also we would like to thanks all the wonderful family and friends who have reached out and offered their support.
This information was last updated 01/12/2019
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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