Martin Robert Beck - Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army

Martin Robert Beck was born on August 30, 1925 and joined the Armed Forces while in Gainesville, Florida.

He served in the United States Army. In 22 years of service, he attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He began a tour of duty in Vietnam on April 28, 1969.

On July 24, 1969, at the age of 43, Martin Robert Beck perished in the service of our
country in South Vietnam, Kien Tuong.

Colonel Beck was my Company Commander in then West Germany. He never slacked off his duties. I respected him greatly as both a man and commander. He got me promoted to First Lieutenant as an “A-Team” commander there in the 10th SFG. I know his daughter Mary Beth loved him very much also from the time I knew her at Bad Toelz. I was in South Vietnam in the Mekong Delta when news arrived of Col. Beck's passing. It hurt me badly and I'll never forget him.

Posted By:
(Ex) Captain John R. Schmaltz

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-00879
The Army purchased this helicopter 1066
Total flight hours at this point: 00000268
Date: 05/13/1967
Accident case number: 670513091
Unit: 335 AHC
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 47370
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.

Crew Members:
AC W1 OSTERMAN CL
P W1 FREEMAN JL
CE E3 ERICKSON KL
G E4 BYNUM NR

Accident Summary:

On a landing approach with 900 lbs of water cans on board, the pilot came to a high hover and started a sink rate from which he could not recover. The aircraft strucks some trees and crashed to the ground.

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-00879
The Army purchased this helicopter 1066
Total flight hours at this point: 00000784
Date: 12/06/1967
Unit: 176 AHC
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was a Logistics Support mission for Resupply , to Forward Area.
Unknown this helicopter was Landing at 0050 feet and 040 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 2 hits from: Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM) The helicopter was hit in the Passenger Cargo Section Systems damaged were: UNK
The helicopter Continued Flight. The aircraft continued and accomplished all mission objectives. Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: UH1P2, 74334

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-00879
The Army purchased this helicopter 1066
Total flight hours at this point: 00002299
Date: 07/24/1969
Incident number: 69072414.KIA
Unit: 175 AHC
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XS275903
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter
Loss database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
P WO1 EARNEST JAMES DALE KIA
P CPT ROE JOHN PHELEN KIA
CE SP4 GLASGOW ROBERT LEE KIA
G SP4 WHITES ROBERT JOSEPH KIA
CX SGT BEVERLY FRANCIS M KIA

Passengers:
LTC BECK MARTIN ROBERT, AR, PX, KIA;
CPT GENESEO LOUIS J, AR, PX, KIA;

This record was last updated on 08/04/1999

The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: WO1 James Dale Earnest
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 07/24/1969 while performing the duty of Pilot. Age at death: 22.2
Date of Birth: 05/18/1947
Home City: Alamo, TX
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 175 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 69-1
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 20W-038
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00879
SSN: 461762124 Service number: W3164133
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 062B
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 04/13/1969
“Official” listing: helicopter air casualty – pilot
Length of service: 01
Location: Kien Tuong Province IV Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile – killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Protestant – no denominational preference
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 05/25/1998

Name: CPT John Phelen Roe
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 07/24/1969 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 27.1
Date of Birth: 06/05/1942
Home City: Clinton, NY
Service: IN branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 175 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 68-514/68-24
Service: IN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 20W-041
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00879
SSN: 063342040 Service number: O5340952
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: aircraft commander
Started Tour: 11/09/1968
“Official” listing: helicopter air casualty – other aircrew
Length of service: 03
Location: Kien Tuong Province IV Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile – killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Protestant – no denominational preference
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 05/25/1998

Name: LTC Martin Robert Beck
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 07/24/1969 while performing the duty of Passenger.
Date of Birth: 08/30/1925
Home City: Gainesville, FL
Service: IN branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: Special Forces
Major organization: Special Forces
Service: IN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 20W-038
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00879
SSN: 213200115
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 31542 = 31 Peripheral Vascular Surgeon
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: observer
Started Tour: 04/28/1969
“Official” listing: helicopter air casualty – non-aircrew
Length of service: 22
Location: Kien Tuong Province IV Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile – killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Methodist (Evangelical United Brethren)

The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 07/31/1996

Name: CPT Louis J. Geneseo
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 07/24/1969 while performing the duty of Passenger.
Date of Birth: 09/18/1936
Home City: Harrison, ME
Service: IN branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: Special Forces
Major organization: Special Forces
Service: IN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 20W-039
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00879
SSN: 025286745
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 31542 = 31 Peripheral Vascular Surgeon
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: unknown
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: observer
Started Tour: 05/29/1969
“Official” listing: helicopter air casualty – non-aircrew
Length of service: 14
Location: Kien Tuong Province IV Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile – killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Roman Catholic

Name: SP4 Robert Lee Glasgow
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 07/24/1969 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at death: 19.3
Date of Birth: 04/21/1950
Home City: West Sunbury, PA
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 175 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 20W-039
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00879
SSN: 160426012
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67N20 = UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew chief
Started Tour: 02/15/1969
“Official” listing: helicopter air casualty – other aircrew
Location: Kien Tuong Province IV Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile – killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Lutheran (Missouri Synod)

Name: SP4 Robert Joseph Whites
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 07/24/1969 while performing the duty of Gunner.
Age at death: 22.2
Date of Birth: 05/09/1947
Home City: Iroquois, SD
Service: component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 175 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 20W-042
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00879
SSN: 504548197
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67A1F = Aircraft Maintenance Apprentice
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: door gunner
Started Tour: 02/04/1969
“Official” listing: helicopter air casualty – other aircrew
Location: Kien Tuong Province IV Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile – killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Roman Catholic

Name: SGT Francis M. Beverly (posthumously promoted)
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 07/24/1969 while performing the duty of Crew member passenger.
Age at death: 20.8
Date of Birth: 10/10/1948
Home City: Jamaica, NY
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 114 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 20W-038
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00879
SSN: 419588222
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 11B4Y = Infantryman
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: passenger
Started Tour: 01/15/1968
“Official” listing: helicopter air casualty – non-aircrew
Length of service: 02
Location: Kien Tuong Province IV Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile – killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Negro
Relgion: Protestant – no denominational preference

Beck, Martin Robert
Born 30 August 1925, Died 24 July 1969
US Army, Lieutenant Colonel
Residence:Columbia, Maryland
Section 13, Grave 12996-1, buried 1 August 1969

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Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard

Martin Robert Beck – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army

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