Col. A.J. (Beau) Bergeron

Birth date: Dec 6, 1943 Death date: Sep 1, 2018

COL (RET) A.J.(Beau) Bergeron, 74, passed away peacefully at the Washington State Veterans Home, Retsil, in Port Orchard, WA on September 1, 2018. A combat veteran of the Vietnam War, he served with the First Armored Cavalry Regim Read Obituary

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Stu Smith

63w ago

Wow, it has been years since I thought of my time with the "Ragin Cajun" Col Bergeron at FLW and the WA State Dept of Veterans Affairs. I was recently asked about my service and how I was able to successfully transition from the military. It was in part because of great leaders like Col B. He was my Brigade Commander and my first "civilian" boss at WDVA. In both roles he inspired me to do my best and threatened me with my life if I didn't :)) He was a great man and a great leader. Men like this are indeed a dying breed. RIP and till Valhalla.

Emmett Wood

160w ago

His towering presence, strolling the corridors of 9th ID Headquarters, “Peacemaker” in hand; his good humor and appreciation for a good joke; his leadership and mentoring in the sands and wadis of Ft. Irwin; his family’s kind invitation to share dinner in their home …….these and many other memories of COL Beau Bergeron linger and guide me more than 30 years since it was very great pleasure to have served with him.

Condolences and warmest regards to the Bergeron family.

Emmett and Lisa Wood

Jerry Brown

199w ago

Jerry Brown

I had the pleasure to be a driver assistant for Col Bergeron. After 30 plus years I still retell stories about this badass Col I briefly worked for which is a testament to the admiration I had because of his leadership qualities. He set the bar of what I expected in an officer but few if any ever lived up to that during my 20 plus year career. RIP Col Bergeron.

Jack H. (Nick) Mccall

297w ago

Having thought recently of a towering man and presence when I was stationed at Fort Lewis in the late 1980s, I searched the Internet for "Beau Bergeron" and then, sadly, found this.

Please accept my belated condolences and sympathies. Although I was not part of his 3rd Brigade, I had several opportunities during my Fort Lewis duty to work beside and get to know the man we all called "the Ragin' Cajun." A more motivational, oversized, loud and yet, fun, leader could seldom be imagined! He was unforgettable--even to this once-young officer who last saw him at Fort Lewis over thirty years ago.

Please accept my best wishes and fond thoughts to his family, friends and all those others whose lives intersected with and were affected by Col. Beau Bergeron. God bless that large, Cajun-inflected soul of his.
Peace to you all.

Samuel Harris

302w ago

Howdy! I was Maj. B's driver's assistant from '79 to '81. I thought he was an awesome leader, but more of an all arounf "good guy". He made me feel confident and competent when he would send me and his driver all over Germany in the middle of the night. Trusting we'd get the task done. I recognized him in '98 or '99 when I was driving through a parking lot on Ft. Lewis. I circled back around, got out of my car and asked him...are you "The Ragin' Cajun"? It was a privilege and honor to see him again. He gave me his business card and told me to stop by the business sometime. His driver and I put his kids' bikes together on Christmas in Germany. My sympathy to the family.

Anthony Cisneros

305w ago

As an 18 year old fresh out of Basic/ Ait Cavalry Scout soldier, I was assigned to Major Bergeron’s S-3 section. I remember him as a firm but fair leader of troops. My condolences to his family and friends on the loss of a patriotic good man. This photo is of the S-3 vehicles lined up for inspection prior to Reforger 1980 Operation Certain Rampart.

William Palmer

323w ago

COL "B". The Rajun Cajun.... One of a kind and the kind of leader I strove to emulate during my career. He once schooled me as a young 2LT when he was the 9th ID G3. CSM Kidd was listening in and told me later that I did just the right thing in standing up to COL B's larger than life attack. COL B was testing me, probing for weakness, seeing what I was really made of. While I didn't appreciate it at the time, as I matured as a leader I did the same with some of my LTs. Probably not with his skill and style.

RIP Go Devil "6". See you at Fiddlers Green....

Ron Grubb

354w ago

I had the privilege of serving as a battalion commander under Cajun 6 when he was a brigade commander in the 9th ID (MTZ), Ft Lewis WA. He saw the world from the soldier's perspective and he knew how to train troops and leaders for what he knew was coming in the Mideast. He led from the front and by example. My most sincere condolences to Judy, Joey, Tara and the Bergeron family.

Ron Grubb

"Tacoma Dave" Gettman

367w ago

My deepest sympathies to the Bergeron family.

I only met Col. Bergeron one time, but it was an unforgettable moment in my life.

I had the honor and pleasure to ride with and act as flank guard for Col. Bergeron at the funeral of a young 2d Cavalry lieutenant killed in action in Afghanistan in July 2010. Col. Bergeron was the 2d Cavalry Association's Honorary Colonel of the Regiment representing both the Association and the Regiment at the funeral. The speech he gave was very moving.

Until we meet again at Fiddler's Green....Toujours Pret, sir!

Greg Autrey

368w ago

I worked with Beau at Fort Lewis and Iraq. In Iraq he assumed a difficult role of being the liason between the Stryker Brigade and a a host of independent contractors. Hurding cats would be easier. He accomplished his task and much of the success of the Brigade contractor support is due to his effort. He was a good man and soldier. May he rest in peace.

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