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Plea for Info
Dear George,
I have received information that Camp Beavers was
originally an orphanage before it was proclaimed an Army camp and was also named after my Dad Capt. Harold Beavers.
I have information from a lady who's husband was at Camp St. Barbara and would go down to help with the Korean orphans.
He is dead now and she and I are looking for more information. Do you know the history of Camp Beavers or would you
send out a plea for anyone with info on the Camps start and subsequent growth and change to a regular Army camp contact
me.
Thanks,
Linda Beavers Carlson
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| Capt Harold R. Beavers 1949 from recruitment poster for Far East Command in Japan |
Fort Beavers was named after Captain
Harold R Beavers
Picture and Distinguished Service Cross Citation provided by Linda Beavers Carlson
| Cambodian Royal Order Grand Cross |
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| Click on image for more info, look under Cambodia |
Need Your Help?
The above medal has been identified as the Cambodian Royal Order, Grand
Cross, awarded by the French. If anyone knows why this medal was awarded to Capt Beavers, please contact us.
HEADQUARTERS
FIRST UNITED STATES ARMY
APO 230
200.6 DSC (A)
SUBJECT: Award of Distinguished Service Cross.
TO: First Lieutenant Harold R. Beavers, 01011362,
Cavalry, United States Army.
Under the provisions of Army Regulations 600-45, as amended, you are awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for
heroic achievement as set forth in the following:
CITATION
First Lieutenant Harold R. Beavers, 01011362, 743rd Tank Battalion, United States Army. For extraordinary heroism
in action against the enemy on 6 June 1944 in France. First Lieutenant Beavers landed on the coast of France under heavy enemy
small arms, machine gun, mortar and artillery fire with the initial assault wave. During this landing the company commander
was killed in action, First Lieutenant Beavers calmly and courageously assumed command of the disorganized company and moved
forward up the beach. When another officer in the company was seriously wounded First Lieutenant Beavers, despite the intense
enemy fire and without regard for his own personal safety, dismounted from his tank, placed the wounded officer onto his tank
and moved the tank through an enemy mine field to a place from which the aid men could remove the wounded officer. First Lieutenant
Beavers then mounted his tank and directed the company in the opening of a beach exit. The gallantry, outstanding leadership
and personal bravery displayed by First Lieutenant Beavers reflects great credit upon himself and is in keeping with the highest
traditions of the Armed Forces.
O.N. Bradley,
Lieutenant General, U.S. Army,
Commanding.
UNITED STATES ARMY IN THE
KOREAN WAR
SOUTH TO THE
NAKTONG, NORTH TO THE YALU
(June-November 1950) by Roy E. Appleman
CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY
UNITED STATES ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1992
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 60-60043
First Printed 1961-CMH Pub 20-2-1
For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP,
Washington, DC 20402-9328
ISBN 0-16-035958-9
Excerpt from THE CAPTURE OF SEOUL Page 521
Hampton and Edwards with two enlisted men led the column through the streets. Near the center of Suwon the four men surprised
two North Korean officers in the act of trying to escape in an American jeep. Edwards shot the driver; the other officer,
a major of the N.K. 105th Armored Division, surrendered. The armored column engaged in some street fighting
with scattered groups of enemy soldiers, capturing altogether. thirty-seven North Koreans. Three miles south of Suwon the
column went into a perimeter defense astride the highway. Being without maps, it had unwittingly passed the airfield a mile
back up the road. [17]
About 2100 a full moon rose and Maj. Gen. David G. Barr, having lost radio contact with the Reconnaissance Company, decided
to send an armored force toward Suwon to find it. Colonel Hampton and the platoon of engineers had already loaded into a truck
and gone ahead. Task Force Hannum, named after its commander, Lt. Col. Calvin S. Hannum, commanding the 73d
Tank Battalion, started from Anyang-ni at 2125. This motorized force-comprised of B Company, 73d Tank Battalion, and the battalion Advance Command Group; K Company, 32d Infantry; C Battery,
48th Field Artillery Battalion; and a medical detachment-hurried south in the moonlight with all possible speed. Lt. Col.
John W. Paddock, 7th Division G-2, accompanied it. On the way to Suwon, Colonel Paddock established radio contact with Major
Edwards and asked for guides to direct him and his force into the perimeter. [18]
Hannum's armored column reached Suwon near midnight, found the East Gate blocked, and turned aside to enter the town from
another point through the ancient stone wall that girds the town on that side. Inside the town an enemy tank hidden behind
a building opened fire on the leading American tank, knocking it out with one shot and killing Capt.
Harold R. Beavers, the B Company tank commander who was inside it. In the fight that flared in the next
few minutes other American tanks destroyed this T34, but a second enemy tank escaped. Hannum's force tried to follow it but
became lost at the edge of town. Hannum decided to wait for daylight rather than to risk another enemy tank ambush in the
darkness.
Meanwhile, Edwards' party in its perimeter south of Suwon heard the sound of tanks northward. Lieutenant Van Sant thought
their clatter sounded like T34's, but the others discounted his comments and hastened preparations to send a party to meet
Hannum. Major Edwards put a Korean civilian and eight men from the Reconnaissance Company into two jeeps. Colonel Hampton
said he would go along and possibly continue on to rejoin the 7th Division headquarters at Anyang-ni. The party started with
Edwards driving the first of four jeeps.
[17] Ltr. Edwards to author, 5 Aug 53; X Corps WD. G-2 Hist Rpt, PIR 4,
22 Sep 50.
[18]
Interv, author with Hannum, 21 Jul 53; 7th Div WD, Narr, 21-22 Sep
50; Ltr, Edwards to author, 5 Aug 53.http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/BOOKS/KOREA/20-2-1/sn26.htm
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Information and Remembrance on Captain Beavers courtesy of The Korean War Project
Harold R Beavers
73 Tank Bn (Hvy) 7 Inf Div
Army
Date Of loss: 1950-09-21
CPT - 03
Service Number: O-1011362
MOS: 01203
Taylor County IA
Republic Of Korea
Hostile, Died (KIA)
1918
Remembering CPT HAROLD R BEAVERS
By Maynard Joe Matheny
FRIEND: I remember Capt. Beavers as a very brave man, or he was trying
to make people believe he was. After we arrived in Korea, he always led our tank column seated in his jeep, with his bright
yellow scarf, shining like a neon sign. He seemed to be trying to draw attention from the North Korean soldiers, some of us
thought he might be just a little too brave, by being so bold. He kind of reminded me of the stories that I heard about the
great General Patton, of the 2nd World War era, you know, the yellow scarf and the Pearl Handled Pistol and shining helmet
thing. The night Capt. Beavers was killed, he had led our column of tanks, what seemed like all day, until we entered the
small village of Suwon, Korea. He then got out of his jeep, and climbed into his position as Tank Commander, because we ran
into some heavy small arms fire, when he maneuvered his tank into a position that he could observe what was happening in the
fire fight, a bright blue flash appeared in the sky. That was when his tank was hit by a round from a T34 Russian Tank, and
knocked out the captains tank. He had lost both legs in the ensuing battle. His gunner, Sgt. John R Martin was killed immediately,
and the loader lost both of his feet(am unable to remember his name) After the Russian tank was destroyed, and the battle
had lightened up, The Captain and his loader was carried off in an ambulance, which turned over on the way back to a field
hospital, and the captain died from bleeding to death. We all respected the captain very much, and he was well liked by all.
Also, that very night, I developed from a very frightened boy into a man.
Additional comments on CPT HAROLD R BEAVERS
John Vazquez Royal Rangers Ministry
My purpose is to correct those incorrect comments of Capt. Harold Beavers and
his Crew at Suwon. I Cpl. John Vazquez, Sgt. Winkler, and Cpl. Haddal
of the 73rd Recon. Plt. were order to escort the ambulance with Capt.
Beavers and his crew to Anyang-ni. On the way we received sniper fire,
the ambulance driver falls asleep and the ambulance goes rolling down the
mountain about 30ft. We could hear yelling and moaning. Capt. Beavers
was unconscious his pulse was very weak, Sgt, Joe Martin both feet were
server. I spoke with Joe he said. " this driver must of got his license
at the PX " he asked me to sit him up to see his feet. I answered, no!
We got to get out of here fast. My Sgt. ask me, " what are we going to
do, we all can't get into one jeep?" He didn't get a chance to finish, I
went into action. We got to the our hospital with two jeeps and the medic
pronounced Capt. Beavers "Dead" Sgt. Martin was still alive when we
left. He did pass later. During my time in Korea 1950-51 I kept a
diary, 95% consisting of what I witnessed. I'm in the process of publishing
a book on my life. Please follow me on Facebook, John Vazquez Royal
Rangers Ministry.
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The Page County Orphan Train Story
The greatest children's migration in the history of the United States took
place during the seventy-five years from 1854-1929. Orphan and impoverished children were transported from the overcrowded
eastern cities to the vast midwestern farmlands. A young minister named Charles Loring BRACE and the Children's Aid Society
of New York City pioneered the "placing out movement" which sought to place deserving, healthy orphans into nurturing farm
homes. There they would be welcome and given a good up-bring in a proper moral setting. The Society specified that the children
were to be housed, fed, clothed, educated and given religious training. Clarinda and dozens of other Iowa towns shared dramatically
in these remarkable events which became known as the "Orphan Trains." Nearly 10,000 children found new homes in Iowa before
the Depression and changing laws ended the migration.
Very little is known about the first Society placing out in this area. Willie
"The Kid" MORAN arrived in Clarinda in March of 1881. The 12 year old was placed with G.A. MILLER where he worked on the farm
for several years. Willie left the farm to travel in the far west, returning in 1897. Tragically, Willie spent the next seven
years here in the State Hospital. His later life is unknown.
Sara HUNT, (1894-1990) an Orphan Train rider to Sidney, IA. in 1904, became
the wife of Hal MAXWELL and stepmother of Hollywood actress Marilyn MAXWELL. She was a Western Union Telegrapher in Clarinda
for nineteen years.
An Orphan Train from the Children's Aid Society came to Clarinda on December
15, 1922 with a precious cargo of twelve sleepy children led by Miss Clara COMSTOCK, the Society's Agent for the state of
Iowa. The Clarinda Herald reported that at the appointed time the children were taken to the Methodist Church to be introduced
to an eager crowd. One little boy, asked why he came said "To find a mamma." Arthur FIELDS "was bundled up tightly to go to
home north of Clarinda," to the Worley SMITH home on North 12th Street where he found a new brother Cecil, and was later adopted.
The COLOWSKI brothers were fortunate
to find homes. Alexander (1916-1988) was adopted into the Harry DOUHIT family and was called Alexander DOUHIT. Walter (1918-1950)
was adopted by the Roy BEAVERS family. He was called Harold R. BEAVERS, became an Army Captain and was killed in Korea.
The placements of some of the other children were temporary and little is
known about them: Howard BLIZZARD, a6y and Ethel BLIZZARD, a12y went to the ARMSTRONG home near Blanchard.
Byron STEVENS to the SCHOONOVER's near Clearfield.
Mary and Anna BRODIE to the HOYT home in Clarinda.
James LeRoy SMITH, to the SCROGGS home in Clarinda.
Carrie ADAMS, to Roy BAKER's home west of Clarinda.
Isabel and Harry ADAMS, to the SWANSON;s home East of Stanton.
In 1987 Mary Ellen JOHNSON, established The Orphan Train Heritage Society
of America, Inc. to gather and preserve the stories of orphan train riders nationwide. The Society is located at: 614 E. Emma
Ave. Suite 115 Springdale, AR. 72764-4634, Telephone 501-756-0769.
Presented as a memorial to the memory of these orphan train riders.
Click Here For More Information On The Page County Orphan Train
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