Duane Beeson
Duane Willard Beeson | |
---|---|
Walter Reed General Hospital Washington, D.C., US | |
Buried | |
Allegiance | Canada United States |
Service/ | Royal Canadian Air Force (1941–42) United States Army Air Forces (1942–47) |
Years of service | 1941–1947 |
Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
Unit | No 71 Eagle Squadron 4th Fighter Group |
Commands held | 334th Fighter Squadron |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Distinguished Flying Cross (6) Purple Heart Air Medal (6) |
Relations | Tracy Beeson, née Waters |
Duane Willard Beeson (July 16, 1921 – February 13, 1947) was an American
Early life and education
Beeson was born on July 16, 1921, in
By the spring of 1939 Beeson planned to study law at the University of California.
Military career
Beeson planned to join the Army Air Corps as a pilot, but as he had not completed the required two years of college he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in Canada, which had no such entry qualifications.
Beeson joined the Royal Canadian Air Force on June 23, 1941, in Vancouver and trained at Prince Albert and Yorkton, Saskatchewan. By February 26, 1942, Beeson had 201 hours of flight time and had successfully completed the training curriculum with a rating of "A good average pilot and is slightly overconfident. No outstanding faults." Beeson was posted to Bournemouth, England, and started conversion to the Hawker Hurricane. On September 5, 1942, Beeson was posted to No. 71 Squadron at Debden, Essex.
World War II
At the time the United States Army Air Forces were arriving in
Beeson flew his first combat mission with his new unit, the 334th Fighter Squadron. In November, Beeson flew a test flight to fire his guns and flew unauthorized over the French coast, attacking German road transport and damaging his aircraft.
In January 1943, Beeson was training on the
On July 2, the 4th Fighter Group became the first fighter group to penetrate German
On January 29, 1944, Beeson shot down a Bf 109 and a
The big raids were dubbed "Big Week." The 4th FG P-47s were equipped with two drop tanks that doubled their combat range. Blakeslee was able to get top priority for the new P-51 Mustangs, promising "I'll have them operational in 24 hours." When the group flew its first missions on February 25, the pilots had less than one hour and ten minutes' flight time in the new fighter. During the week, Beeson was awarded an oak leaf cluster to his Distinguished Flying Cross and promoted to captain. With 80 combat missions completed he was made commanding officer of B Flight at the age of 22.
On February 28, Beeson got his new P-51B. He and crew chief Willard Wahl named the aircraft simply "Bee." In his first mission across the English Channel he strafed a Junkers Ju 88 on the ground. On March 23, Beeson downed two more Bf 109s, making him the Army Air Forces' most successful ace. It was Beeson's 93rd combat mission and he had 17 claims.
He got two more kills, but on April 5 he was brought down by German fire from the ground.[4] He was captured and interrogated by the famous Hanns Scharff. In a prisoner-of-war camp Beeson passed the time boxing, reading, and studying. The camp was liberated by Soviet forces on April 29, 1945. It took Beeson nearly a month to make it back to Debden. While a prisoner of war, Beeson had been promoted to major and had received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with five oak leaf clusters, and the Air Medal, most of which were presented to his parents at Gowen Field.
Post war
He returned to Boise in June 1945 and made every effort to get reassigned to the
In November 1993, the Duane W. Beeson Terminal Building was named in his honor.
Military decorations
Beeson's awards include:
Army Air Forces Pilot Badge | |
Distinguished Service Cross | |
Silver Star | |
Distinguished Flying Cross with silver oak leaf cluster | |
Purple Heart | |
Air Medal with silver oak leaf cluster | |
Air Force Presidential Unit Citation | |
Prisoner of War Medal[6] | |
American Campaign Medal | |
campaign star
| |
World War II Victory Medal | |
Croix de Guerre with Palm (Belgium)
|
Distinguished Service Cross citation
- Beeson, Duane W.
- Captain (Air Corps), U.S. Army Air Forces
- 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force
- Date of Action: January 29, 1944
- Citation:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain (Air Corps) Duane W. Beeson, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a P-51 Fighter Airplane in the 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force, in aerial combat against enemy forces on 29 January 1944, in the European Theater of Operations. On this date Captain Beeson shot down two enemy aircraft. Captain Beeson's unquestionable valor in aerial combat is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 8th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.[7]
References
- ISBN 978-1-78200-873-6.
- ISBN 978-1-61060-702-5.
- ISBN 978-1-84415-905-5.
- ISBN 978-1-78200-889-7.
- ^ Burial Detail: Beeson, Duane W – ANC Explorer
- ^ Beeson is eligible for the Prisoner of War Medal when it was created in 1986.
- ^ "Valor awards for Duane Beeson". Military Times. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
Further reading
- Air Force Magazine December 1944, "Portrait of a Crew Chief, Sgt. Samuel W. Taylor"
- Fry, Garry; The Duane Beeson Story, American Aviation Historical Society, Winter, 1978
- Duane Beeson Gun Camera Films