Stafford County honors two brothers killed in World War II – NBC4 Washington

On Friday, a special ceremony was held in Stafford County, Virginia, to honor two brothers who lost their lives in World War II.

Marshal Boutchyard, a distant cousin of Cpl. Mercer Boutchyard and Pfc. Marvin Boutchyard, attended the memorial ceremony to pay their final respects. Thanks to the ceremony, he and another relative, Darien Boutchyard, were able to complete the story of their relatives’ service.

Pfc. Boutchyard was stationed in Europe and took part in the D-Day invasion. He was one of 30 men from a company of 65 who made it across the beach and survived.

“Not only did they make it to the beach and rappelled up the cliffs, but they liberated two or three more towns on the first day alone,” said Shannon Eubanks, Stafford’s community engagement director.

Unfortunately, Pfc. Boutchyard died a week later as a result of his injuries.

A year later, Cpl. Boutchyard died in the Pacific from injuries sustained in the Battle of Okinawa.

Eubanks participated in the design of the memorial featuring the names of fallen veterans and decided to find out more about the Boutchyard family after visiting the American Cemetery in Normandy, France and discovering the name on a grave.

“I saw a very unusual name, Marvin Boutchyard, which I knew was on our plaque. I did a quick search and googled it, and sure enough, it was our Marvin,” Eubanks said. “I knew immediately that we needed to do something to tell his story.”

Marshal Boutchyard, a member of the Army National Guard, is preparing for his summer deployment. While he is currently overseas, he wants to keep his relatives’ story alive.

“I am proud that we have people who are willing to give up everything for the cause and the good deed,” he said.