Norman Radean Bettis

Norman Radean Bettis was raised in rural Murray outside of Osceola in Clarke County. He graduated from the Murray Community School District and later attended the Prairie Bible School in Three Hill, Alberta, Canada. Bettis was drafted by the Army in the summer of 1968. Bettis dreamed of pursuing a life in the ministry after completing his military service. He trained to be an armor reconnaissance specialist and was assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry (Blackhorse). He was sent to South Vietnam in October 1968. PFC Bettis was operating an M-60 machine gun aboard a tank when the vehicle struck a mine on January 31, 1969. The explosion killed PFC Bettis. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. The 21-year-old’s body was laid to rest in the Maple Hill Cemetery in Osceola.