Mom of Marine who died in his final training at Parris Island is done being told to ‘keep quiet’
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Marine recruit’s death and investigation
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Last of three parts
When it was time for the graduation of Platoon 2040 in Company E last June at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, Stacie Beveridge Beals assumed she would be there celebrating her son, Dalton Beals, alongside the other recruits’ families.
Instead, she was making funeral arrangements and visiting the barracks where his fellow recruits had left a makeshift memorial on his bunk following his death during the final stretch of training on June 4, 2021.
“I never got to see him in uniform except when we buried him,” said Beveridge Beals, of Pennsville, New Jersey.
Dalton Beals, a 19-year-old Marine recruit, died on Parris Island during the Crucible — a 54-hour hike that tests marine training at the end of their 13 weeks on base. He was missing for an hour before found collapsed in a clearing without a pulse, having succumbed to the unrelenting South Carolina heat.
Beals could not be revived.
In a command investigation and line of duty determination report after Beals’ death, investigators recommended that punitive or legal action could be taken against the platoon’s drill instructor, Company E commander, the company’s series commander and three other Marines for Beals’ death.
“My heart says to fight for justice for him and try not to be bitter. It’s up to them to do right by Dalton,” his mother said in an interview with the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.
In a statement to the newspapers, Maj. Philip Kulczewski, a Parris Island spokesperson, said it would be “inappropriate” to speculate about the details of the case while it is under legal review by military prosecutors.
“It appears this drill instructor wanted his group to be the toughest,” Beveridge Beals said.
The temperature the day recruits were made to carry 45 pounds of gear over nearly as many miles and problem-solving stations was in the 90s. Beals’ cause of death is listed as hyperthermia, a condition that results when the body is dangerously overheated and generates more heat than it is able to release.
Beveridge Beals said the recruits tried to stick together “to get through” the Crucible, a hellish exercise known for its difficulty. They were “all struggling” and determined to finish, she said.
“They (recruits) should be safe; they’re in training,” Beveridge Beals said. “They (MCRD Parris Island) need to watch what they’re doing. When they (recruits) need medical attention, they should get medical attention. There needs to be accountability.
“I’ve come to the realization that his death was preventable,” Beveridge Beals said. “Had it been an accident, it would be easier to swallow. Had protocol been followed, my son would still be here.”
A community ‘hit hard’
In Pennsville, New Jersey, a town of 12,626 people in the southwestern part of the state near the Delaware border, Dalton Beals was known for his athletic ability, and his kindness. A year later, his death still “hits hard” in their town, Beveridge Beals said.
A benefit is in the works for what would be his 21st birthday in November to start a memorial fund for scholarships to sponsor kids from his alma mater, Pennsville High School. While in high school, Beals was on the wrestling team and played football. Outside the football field, his high school has planned to put up a monument in his honor, according to his mother.
After school, Beals could often be found talking with his coaches or hanging out with teachers. He liked to play practical jokes and watch the sitcom, “Friends.” Though he was big, he didn’t “use his size” and was a “peacekeeper” among his friends and two older sisters, Jordan and Logan.
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Beals was at the tail end of his senior year. At that time, his sisters came home from college, and the family was together again.
“I’m thankful for COVID for that,” Beveridge Beals said. “We got to spend good time before he left. You don’t think that they’re not going to come back.”
Beals joined the Marine Corps because of its reputation as being the “toughest” branch of the military and because he “wanted to get out and make his own name,” his mother said.
“Ultimately, Dalton’s decision to join the Marines cost him his life,” she said. “In my heart, I know that but he was proud of that.”
‘What happened to my son?’
After her son’s death, Beveridge Beals said she used to periodically check Facebook groups for parents and families of recruits in training, but they make it hard not to think of what she’s lost.
“Overnight, I became a Marine mom,” she said. “It’s a lot. It’s hard still being on the Parris Island pages and … the reunions that are so happy and surprise visits to home. Things I always thought I would have.”
In the 13 months since, she has been told by the Marines to “be patient” and “keep quiet” about what she has learned so as not to hurt the investigation.
On a visit to Parris Island last week, Beveridge Beals said she was allowed to visit Page Field, the spot where her son spent his last hours.
“It was meaningful for me, I’m a little spiritual,” she said. “I believe that that’s where his soul left his body. I thought that was important for me to see; it was a little peaceful for me.”
After visiting the base and speaking with Parris Island officials, she said she got the impression that it could be another year before any action would be taken in her son’s death. Through her heartbreak, she maintains she is not anti-military. She just wants justice for her son.
“They’re not being held accountable in the civilian world,” she said. “I can’t sue the military. It has to come from within.”
A gofundme page has been set up to help the family. As of Wednesday, $43,600 has been raised.
Over the last year, Beveridge Beals has spent hours researching and familiarizing herself with military and legal jargon. In May, she advocated in Congress to repeal the Feres Doctrine, a doctrine that precludes military members and their families from suing the government for injuries incurred during service, with the group Save Our Service Members, which speaks up on behalf of men and women injured or killed in action or due to negligence.
“Hopefully it will help with justice because it is not just me looking for answers and it makes other people aware,” Beveridge Beals said. “There are other people who want to know what happened to my son.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2022 at 4:45 AM.
