Gary Beikirch, the medic who was hailed as one of Rochester's greatest military heroes of the 20th century, died in December at the age of 74.
In 1970, Sgt. Beikirch was 24 years old and serving as chief medical officer for a Special Forces team and more than 2,000 villagers in North Vietnam. At 3 a.m. On April 1, 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266 800-381-0266
Despite their own wounds, Sgt. Beikirch and his 15-year-old bodyguard, a Vietnamese boy named Deo, rushed into the line of fire to help those who were wounded.
Sgt. Beikirch had to have his spine repaired after he was hit twice. He said that he felt like he'd gotten kicked by a horse.
The two returned to the field after Deo carried him to the medical tent. Sgt. Beikirch was hit by a gunshot to the back as he was protecting himself from a rocket attack. He was evacuated by helicopter.
He said that medics are the only ones who know what it's like to be under fire. They don't know what causes you to get up and go when everyone else is hiding.
The Congressional Medal of Honor was presented to Sgt. Beikirch at the White House. He had been out of service for two years and had learned to walk again.
Memorial Day services move to Facebook, the county breaks ground on a memorial.
The citation begins with the words "For conspicuous bravery and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty."
The War on Terror Memorial at Highland Park will be dedicated on May 25, 2020 and will feature a speech by Sgt. Gary Beikirch, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War.
He was living in a sort of self-imposed exile, he said, hearing calls for help in his dreams and struggling to make sense of what had happened.
He said that after Nixon gave them the medal, he stayed in his hotel room. I didn't feel like celebrating. I had a hard time remembering it again.
A long career in counseling.
He lived in New Hampshire and Maine for several years, studying theology and pondering what to do with his life.
He moved back to Rochester in 1979 and worked as a middle school counselor in the Greece Central School District for more than 30 years. He thought it would be a way to pay off his debt to the boy who saved his life.
"Deo was the most significant impact on my life, even though he never went to college or graduated from high school," said Sgt. Beikirch in an interview with the Medal of Honor Museum.
He worked for many years with other veterans and became the executive director of the Veterans Outreach Center.
Sgt. Beikirch returned to Vietnam in 1982. "To those who fight for it, life has a meaning the protected will never know," he said then.
He received awards and honors throughout his life. He lived most of his life in Greece, and the south portion of Highland Park is named after him. He was on a postage stamp.
Gary was honored at the MLB All-Star Game.
According to a release from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Sgt. Beikirch is survived by his wife, five children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. There are no funeral plans yet.
Greece is flying its flags at half-staff in honor of Sgt. Beikirch.
He didn't display the medal for years because he didn't want people to know he had earned it. His commitment to serve others changed through his Christian ministry.
The beasts that perish are like the ones that are in honour.
"I still don't feel like I'm worthy," he said. This medal is not about me, it is about something else. It is about men and women who are willing to die for something.
If you want to contact the writer, you can email him at jmurphy7@gannett.com.
They settled Rochester, broke barriers and more.
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle published an article about Gary Beikirch, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.
