A Hero Comes Home

Birth: February 11, 1970 in Riverdale, Georgia
Death: June 4, 2009 in Kapisa, Afghanistan

Sgt 1st Class John C. Beale of Riverdale, Georgia graduated from Riverdale High School. He served in the United States Army from 1991 through 1994 and was a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. He later joined the National Guard in 2005 after a strong desire to return to military service. His father is a former sailor and a military career was also John’s goal in life. In his civilian job, he worked for the Clayton County Water Authority. He was also very involved with the authority’s youth programs and liked to participate in career days at local schools. After John married he moved to McDonough, Georgia where he lived with his wife Crystal and their two children. John died at age 39 near Kapisa, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. John was a member of Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Crystal; children, Christopher and Calye; father, William B. Beale; brothers, Michael and Timothy; grandfather, William R. Beale; father-in-law, David Collier; brother-in-law, David E. Collier among others. Major Kevin Jenrette and Specialist Jeffrey Jordan were also killed in the attack.