THE WALL OF FACES

I was stationed in Vietnam in support of land based A1Es in 1966. I Have a
LCDR Beene MIA bracelet I acquired in 1966. I am a volunteer at the Oklahoma History Center which just opened a Vietnam gallery display honoring lost servicemen and women and living veterans. I’ll be wearing my bracelet during that time. His family should know we still remember.

DEAR LT. COMMANDER BEENE,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS AN UNRESTRICTED LINE OFFICER - PILOT FROM THE U. S. S. ORISKANY. I READ THAT YOU ARE STILL MIA.
PLEASE COME HOME.
THE CHRISTMAS SEASON IS OVER, AND IT IS A NEW YEAR, WHICH MAKES IT FAR TOO LONG FOR YOU TO HAVE BEEN GONE. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE, AND YOUR SACRIFICE. WATCH OVER THE U.S.A., IT STILL NEEDS YOUR COURAGE.. GOD BLESS YOU. MAY THE SAINTS AND ANGELS BE AT YOUR SIDE. REST IN PEACE.

While in the Charleston, SC area this summer I found a POW/MIA Bracelet for sale. This really bothered me, so I purchased it with the hope of returning it to a family member, if they wanted it. I would be honored to return it.

Michael Baumann
CDR, USN (Ret)

On October 5, 1966, LTJG James A. Beene was the flight leader and pilot of an A-1 section aircraft from the U.S.S. Oriskany on an armed reconnaissance mission over the coastal area of North Vietnam between Cape Mui Ron and Thanh Hoa. While in an area 15 miles south of Hon Mat Island, Lieutenant Beene entered the base of thick cumulus clouds and never emerged. An oil slick was later sighted on the ocean which might have come from submerged leaking fuel tanks but no aircraft debris was located. A SAR effort was unable to locate any specific trace of Lieutenant Beene, and he was declared missing. His name was provided to Vietnamese officials in Paris in October 1971, but no information was received in return. Returning U.S. POWs were unable to provide any information about his precise fate. In February 1976 he was declared killed in
action, body not recovered. [Narrative taken from pownetwork.org; image from wikipedia.org]

I served on the USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) from '64-66 and still have a bracelet with LCDR Beene's name. I'd love to return it to a family member. Please contact me by email.