He Chose to Stand in the Smoke
He didn’t have to go. He chose to.
In 2008, Beau Biden had every reason to stay home — a young family, a demanding role as Delaware’s Attorney General, even a medical condition requiring special clearance for deployment. But duty called, and he answered.

For seven months, Major Beau Biden served in Iraq, working near massive burn pits where toxic smoke filled the air day and night. The smoke never stopped.
He returned home in 2009. In 2013, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma — one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. Still, he kept showing up. Through surgery. Through chemotherapy. Thinking of others before himself.
He passed away in May 2015 at just 46.
Years later, in 2022, the PACT Act became law — expanding healthcare for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.

Beau stood in the smoke when he didn’t have to. And in the end, his sacrifice helped shine light through it — protecting countless others still fighting their own invisible battles.