Always Remember Those Who Gave All: MC WW2 Gold Stars and MIA Survivors

George Omar Beall Jr. (1920-1944)

MC Class: ex-1944

Years at MC: 1940-1942 (Freshman and Sophomore)

Hometown: Binghamton, NY

Life at MC: Honor Roll, Band, Swimming Team, Football Team, German Club

Spouse: Ethel Hanners (MC Class of 1945)--married May 1943

Military Branch: US Marines

Military Unit: VMF-121 (Marine Fighting Squadron 121) "Green Knights"

Rank: First Lieutenant (Pilot)

Medals Awarded: Purple Heart (posthumous type 3), Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal)

Date Missing: 31 October 1944

Date of Death: 31 October 1944

Location of Death: Near St. Catherine Catholic Church, Maaq, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia

Circumstances of Death: "The next day (October 31), the Squadron experienced its first loss of the Peleliu tour. 1st Lt. George O. Beall, the squadron's parachute officer, was part of Major William Clay Jr.'s 1240 flight on mission to bomb the Japanese airfield on Yap Island. After one of the dives, George Beall did not rejoin the formation. Major Clay circled the area of the Gagil-Tomil Airfield, searching for Beall or any sign of wreckage, but he could not locate him or find any evidence of his fate. The flight returned to base at 1645 and reported Beall missing." (Doll, Thomas. Marine Fighting Squadron One-Twenty-One. Squadron/Signal Publications, 1996 as cited at http://www.ww1collector.com/Details/Beall-George-O.-Jr.html)

Burial/Memorial Information: Section 34, Site 2767, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia (burial) and St. Catherine Catholic Church, Maaq, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia (memorial made out of wreckage of his plane) (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35364594/george-omar-beall)

Additional Information: A collector of World War II memorabilia has a large collection of material on George Omar Beall Jr. and has a website describing the collection along with photographs of the memorabilia (medals, photos, telegram, pilot license): http://www.ww1collector.com/Details/Beall-George-O.-Jr.html

Additional Images:

March 7, 1942 Highland Echo Article announcing Beall's enlistment in the US Naval Reserve

1943 "The Annapolis of the Air" Press Release announcing Beall's commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve

1944 Obituary