Beallsville's War: The Unraveling of the Liberal Consensus in the Town That Gave Most in the Vietnam War

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern Ohio, the town of Beallsville seems unremarkable in almost every way. Comprised mostly of mining and farming families, the town has seen its population dwindle in recent decades to a little over 400 residents. But Beallsville holds one unenviable distinction: it suffered the highest per capita number of inhabitants killed of any American village, town, or city during the Vietnam War. From a population of 475 at the height of the war, Beallsville gave six of its unfortunate sons – all killed in separate incidents: Jack Pittman, Duane T. Greenlee, Charles G. Schnegg, Richard L. Rucker, William Robert Lucas, and Phillip M. Brandon. Each death and each heartbreaking visit from a uniformed Casualty Notification Officer hit the community like a body blow. As result of their sacrifice, their families and a normally stoic working class community had to face unprecedented grief.

Having studied the impact of war on soldiers, society, politics, and culture, military historians have increasingly begun to research the very personal impact of war on those who are left bereaved by military deaths. Based on oral interviews with surviving family members and town residents, this poster explores the efforts of the townspeople to heal their wounds. These efforts included a heightened sense of devotion ‘to God and to country’ and a determination to keep the memory of the fallen boys alive through commemorative events, ceremonies, and monuments. Beallsville residents embody the conference theme of “Loyalties” as they were determined to find a meaning to the sacrifice of their fallen sons. By strengthening their bonds of loyalty to both their local and national communities, their actions also brought a measure of psychological comfort in a time of unparalleled loss.

In addition to revealing a previously untold story of the Vietnam War, this poster will add to our understanding of how communities overcome grief and how collective trauma can sometimes bind rather than destroy communities. While many military histories end at the point the guns fall silent, analysis of Beallsville’s experience allows for a more complete and necessary understanding of the full impact of war.