14 Apr 2002 In loving memory of my father whose life was cut short on March 22, 1969, by enemy fire. I have little memory of him but he will live in my heart forever. I am proud and honored to be the daughter of this man who fought for what he believed in. All gave some, he gave all. Long may you sail, long may you sail. YOUR LOVING DAUGHTER, CHRISTINE

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall While the majority of US naval units were drawn from the Navy, the Coast Guard provided a number of smaller ships well suited to coastal patrol and close-in support for the riverine forces. Chief Petty Officer Beeson was killed in a small boat operation south of Chu Lai. The incident is described in the USNAVFORV History for March 1969: "On the 22nd the small boat from the USCGC POINT ORIENT was checking fishing craft close inshore 56 miles north of Qui Nhon. While proceeding to board the three sampans caught in a restricted zone heavy automatic weapons fire was received from three positions to the north and west. A crewman was struck and killed instantly by the first burst of fire. In the incident three of the five sampans hailed by the small boat stopped their engines instead of evading up the river with the other two. Because restricted area violators had frequently been evading, the incident appeared to be a deliberate ambush with the sampans luring the small boat close to the shore line." The incident occurred at Tam Quan Point which forms the northern border of Tam Quan harbour, Binh Dinh Province. Beeson Hall, the USCG Division 12 headquarters in Da Nang, was the only Coast Guard facility named for any of the Squadron One Coast Guardsmen killed in action in Vietnam. Bill Wells, a Guardsmen who served in Vietnam, maintains an informal Coast Guard Vietnam site where the photos of Chief Engineman Morris Beeson were found. They were taken by, and belong to, another POINT ORIENT sailor, Bill Ross. Caption: ENC Morris Beeson helps supplement the dinner table.

Contact Us

© Copyright 1997-2019 www.VirtualWall.org, Ltd ®(TM)

Last update 08/15/2019.