My Teacher, War Hero Major Ron Beam

A Short History on my former teacher and coach, Fighter-Pilot Major Ron Beam (USAF)

I attended a private school from 5th Grade until 12th Grade at Fort Worth Christian (FWC).?While there, I had a teacher and coach who was always positive, supportive and demanding.?His name was Coach Ron Beam.?He was a Football coach of mine and then the head Basketball coach during my 7th Grade year.?During my 12th Grade year, he taught me American History and Government.?Since I went to school with one of his sons who I played Varsity Football with, he often came to the Football games and offered words of instruction and support.?I always knew he was a fighter pilot during Vietnam, but I rarely spoke to him about it.?As I got older, especially when I was headed to be a pilot myself in the Marine Corps, I thought of the few times he talked to me about how freedom is not free and that losing buddies during the war was one of the hardest things he ever experienced.?One day, with tears almost coming into this tough man’s eyes, he told us how it was hard to see one of the planes in his squadron get hit by enemy fire and see one of his buddies having to “punch out” of the plane over enemy territory.?He emphasized that such brave Americans have given us a strong nation and we should never forget them.?Recently, I gave some talks on military history at my old school and afterwards, I decided to go spend some time with my old teacher and coach, Major Ron Beam (USAF) and hear about his story.?

???????????Major Beam grew up in Mohawk, New York, in a very blue-collar working family.?On one branch of his family, he is actually part of the Mohawk tribe.?Right out of High School, he entered the Air Force and due to his excellent scores on the tests they gave him, he made it to Flight School and became an officer.?He is a Mustang in the truest sense of how that term is used in the military (i.e. jumping up from the enlisted ranks to the officer ranks due to exceptional talents).?He flew many planes, most notably the F-86 Interceptor, the F-102 Interceptor and the F-4 (Phantom) Fighter-Bomber.?He had 500 hours in the F-4, half of which were spent on combat missions bombing Hanoi, taking out targets of opportunity like roads, railroads and convoys, and hitting supply depots and bases in Loas.?He was “in country” of Vietnam from 1967-1968.?During this time, he served some time under the famous Air Force personality, later Brigadier General Robin Olds, who Major Beam described as a “hell-raiser” and “fantastic leader.”?

???????????Major Beam had a distinguished record, most notably earning the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions he performed on 29 July 1967, destroying a North Vietnamese Military convoy south of Vinh on the coast, comprising of at least 25 destroyed vehicles.?He even flew below 3,000 feet to hit this convey, which according to his estimation, he hit with at least 24 of his 2.7 air-to-ground rockets.?One ammunition truck he destroyed created such a tall explosion that it almost hit Major Beam during one of his three passes.?It was his best day in combat, one full of exhilaration, fear, and, as he says, “a lot or prayers.”?

???????????While stationed at Ubon in Thailand with the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing of the United States Air Force, he said it was difficult to see his squadron mates get shot down.?At the end of the war, at least 4 would return after being prisoners at the “Hanoi Hilton,” where Senator John McCain spent time as a POW.?There were another 4 men who were MIAs (Missing-in-Action), and after the war, since they never were found or returned to the United States, became registered as KIAs (Killed-in-Action).

???????????When asked if the effort in Vietnam was worth it, Major Beam said, “The entire war was a wasted effort when one looks at it from a point of view of how to win wars.?We did not invade North Vietnam which would have pushed the war in our favor, albeit with many casualties resulting.?Moreover, we were never allowed to sink all the ships coming from China and Russia supplying the North Vietnamese although we could see them sailing in on a regular basis to the ports controlled by the Communists.?We fought a war with one hand always tied behind our backs.?However, I answered my nation’s call to serve it when it called me to do so and I did my best to take care of my men, defend our troops on the ground and return to my wife and children after my tour.”???

???????????After he left the military in January 1973, exactly 50 years ago, he decided he wanted to go back to college and get educated with the goal of coaching and teaching young people.?After he did so, he started teaching at FWC in 1976 and spent the next 20 years there as an administrator, coach and instructor.?

In the 1970s, he said it was tough being a veteran because hardly anyone in society respected Vietnam veterans.?He was even called a “baby-killer” by a Catholic nun at a school where he was visiting.?Nowadays, he says, America is better toward the veterans.?“When I go out shopping or to dinner and wear my veteran hat, many people thank me for my service.?I see in their eyes that they truly are grateful for what I did for our nation.?That makes me feel good and proud.?We definitely did not have this when I returned from war and that was hard to take---it made me sad and angry.?However, now, I feel good about what I did for my country especially since I feel the population now supports what I had to do.”

???????????I find it amazing that we at FWC had this war hero amongst us, but few of us ever really knew what Major Beam had done for our country and what it took to be a fighter pilot.?After the war, he dedicated his life to taking care of kids, and in my case, he taught me about team work, about the U.S. Constitution, about our government and how it functions, and how to be on time to class (in good military fashion, he hated when I entered his classroom as the bell rung---if you are not early to class, you are late).?It was a pleasure to spend some time with Major Beam recently, and at 89, he is in good spirits and health, still playing golf on a regular basis.?It was an honor to have such a teacher and mentor in my life as a young man and I am now glad to also call him a fellow veteran and friend.??