I met Mr. Beach for the first time at my first trip to the USA to the Troop Carrier Community Reunion in Indianapolis, 2009. And I was very surprised to meet him again at the 2013 reunion in Kansas City.

He graduated from The Gilbert School in 1939 and attended Bay Path College before enlisting as a flight training cadet and entering the War in 1942.

He was at Pre-Flight school at Maxwell AFB in Alabama.

On June 30, 1943, having completed "Flying Training Comand Courseof instructions in Advances Single-engine School", 2nd Lt. Beach received the order to report for active duty at the 89th Troop Carrier Squadron at Bergstrom Field, Austin TX.

As a member of the 87th Troop Carrier Squadron, 438th Troop Carrier Group. As a 2nd Lt. he crossed tha Atlantic Ocean via the Southern route. He flew co-pilot on C-47 42-100744.

In England, he was stationed at Greenham Common airfield, home of the 438th Troop Carrier Group. From here, he flew the D-day mission to Normandy, dropping paratroopers of the 502nd PIR, 101st AB Div. according to Bill, he flew to the wing of the lead plane, the now famous 'That's all Brother'. At that time, Lt. Beach was flying a C-47 # 42-93034 named 'Ceiling 0'.

Lt. Beach had arranged that his friend, Lt. Bill Allin, would fly co-pilot with him on this mission. In 2009 Bill Beach told me how they could see the the 'firework' and that both pilots hung to the middle of the airplane, until their heads almost touched each other.

in August 1944, he and his Squadron were in Italy for the invasion of Southern France. His first mission was to drop paratroopers. One of the paratroopers took Lt. Beach's .45 pistol and holster which were hanging over his seat in the cockpit.

In September 1944, 2nd Lt. Beach flew the first three missions to Holland to deliver men and equipment of the 101st A/B Division. The first flight, on 17 September, was a paratroop drop. The 2 following days, he towed a glider to the landing zone.

November 1, 1944, he was promoted to 1st Lt.

During the siege of Bastogne, Lt. Beach flew two missions to drop supplies to the troops in the surrounded city.

Another re-supply mission was flown on 13 February to Prüm, Germany. This was mission Red Ball.

The last airborne combat operation was the jump across the Rhine River, Operation Varsity. On this mission, paratroopers of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division, were dropped on DZ-W near Wesel. Lt. Beach flew as co-pilot on C-47 # 42-100747. Fifteen paratroopers were flown in by Lt. Beach and his fellow crew members.

Between these combat missions, numerous resupply and evacuation missions were flown. One such mission was on 22 February 1945 when his aircraft developed engine problems shortly after take-off from airstrip A-79, Prosnes,  Lt. Beach was able to made a successful belly landing and all three crew members made it out without a scratch.

The resupply/evacuation mission to advanced airstrips in Germany during the month April were considered as combat missions as well.

During the Korean conflict, he served as a U.S. military advisor and liaison to U.S. ally, General Chaing Kai-shek and the Nationalist Chinese army in Formosa.  After multiple successive assignments, he finished his Air Force career as a senior logistical officer in theater during the Vietnam conflict.  Colonel Beach retired after 31 years of meritorious service.