Two Texas Servicemen Killed in Afghanistan
1st Sergeant Russell Bell of Tyler, left. Photo courtesy U.S. Army. Petty Officer 3rd Class Clayton Beauchamp of Weatherford, right. Photo courtesy Beauchamp family.The Department of Defense has released the names of a Texas paratrooper and a Texas sailor who were killed in Afghanistan.
1st Sergeant Russell Bell of Tyler was killed by an improvised explosive device last week in southern Afghanistan. He was 37.
Bell joined the Army in 1996. This was his fourth deployment to Afghanistan.
His commander said Bell’s presence made each day brighter and that he constantly shared stories that made everyone smile. He said Bell always looked for opportunities to make people laugh – especially in tough situations.
Sergeant Bell leaves behind family, including his wife and 1-year-old son.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Clayton Beauchamp of Weatherford died on Tuesday in Helmond Province, Afghanistan. He was 21.
Beauchamp enlisted in the Navy in 2009. This was his first deployment.
Beauchamp’s mom says he was planning to propose to his girlfriend when he returned home.
The Department of Defense confirms that 6,425 U.S. service members have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of those, 579 were from Texas.
