William D. Beekman
From USAFA Folklore
| William D. Beekman | |
|---|---|
| 1946 - | |
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| USAFA Class: | 1968 |
| Cadet squadron: | CS-11; CS-23 |
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| Official bio: | [ ] |
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Lieutenant Colonel William D. Beekman, Class of 1968, was an F-4 pilot with the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron, DaNang, South Vietnam. He was shot down on 24 June 1972, became a prisoner of war, and was released February 1973.
Initially an F-4 navigator, Bill had his first ejection in Florida, when a bomb rack ejector was accidentally placed upside down and ignited his fighter's fuel tanks after coming off of a practice bomb run. Bill actually upgraded to the front seat in Vietnam, but, like many of his PW peers, was forced to complete pilot training upon being repatriated. He then flew the C-9, T-39, and C-21, along with graduating from AFIT and working as an engineer in the "Star Wars" and B-1 programs. He retired out of the R&D division of the Pentagon to work for Booze, Allen, and Hamilton, a large defense contractor. He later started his own medical testing business, but is now completely retired. He lives in Dayton, OH with his wife, Donna. He has two children. His son, Brian L. Beekman, Class of 2001 was a legacy to Cadet Squadron 11 and is currently a pilot in the Air Force.
