In Stafford County, Virginia, a memorial ceremony was held to pay tribute to two brave brothers who gave their lives while serving in World War II. Pfc. Marvin Boutchyard and Cpl. Mercer Boutchyard were honored during the ceremony, attended by Marshal Boutchyard, a distant cousin of the deceased soldiers. This event allowed him to complete the story of his relatives’ service.
Pfc. Boutchyard was stationed in Europe and was part of the D-Day invasion. He was one of 30 in a company of 65 that survived after making it across the beach. “Not only did they make it up the beach and rappel up the cliffs, they freed two or three more towns just in the first day,” said Stafford Community Engagement Director Shannon Eubanks. Unfortunately, Pfc. Boutchyard died a week later from wounds he suffered on the battlefield. A year later, in the Pacific Theater, Cpl. Boutchyard also perished due to wounds sustained during the Battle of Okinawa.
Shannon Eubanks played a crucial role in creating this memorial and researching more about the Boutchyard family after spotting their name on a grave at the Normandy American Cemetery in France while visiting there for work purposes. “I saw a very unusual name, Marvin Boutchyard,” she said. “I quickly looked it up and googled it, and sure enough, it was our Marvin.” Eubanks immediately knew she had to do something to tell his story and honor his memory along with that of his brother Mercer.
Marshal Boutchyard is currently serving as an Army National Guard member but plans to deploy overseas this summer as he continues to honor his fallen ancestors’ legacy abroad while out of country until then; he remains proud that they sacrificed everything for what they believed in.” I take pride in knowing that we have people who are willing to lay down everything for our cause,” he said during the ceremony held in their honor at home soil before heading off again on another mission far away from home land where both brothers lost their lives defending our freedom together.”
