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You are here: Home | Search Trip Index | Lt. George O. Beall, Jr. VMF-121 FG-1 Corsair Located
Lt. George O. Beall, Jr.
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On our 2006 trip we located what we called an unidentified American crash site that include a R-2800 engine but no other visible wreckage. We searched the area around the engine site in 2006, 2008 and 2009 without success in locating the rest of the wreckage. Over the years my research of all the Yap losses identified the site as that of Lt. George O. Beall, Jr. Lt. Beall was shot down over Yap on October 31, 1944 while flying a mission to bomb the Gagil-Tamil airstrip on Yap Island
in his FG-1A Corsair from Peleliu Island. He was a Marine pilot flying with the VMF-121 squadron. Georges body was buried near his crash site and his remains were located in 1948 and returned to the US for burial at Arlington National Cemetery. We received information over the years that the main part of the wreckage was covered up by the Yapese when they created a nearby parade field that is used for their yearly Yap Days celebration. During this year's trip a member of my tourism class, Joseph, took time to locate the wreckage through members of his village and took us to the site. Although the wreckage is partially buried, the village is going to uncover the wreckage so we can create a memorial site for Lt. Beall that
will combine the fuselage and engine wreckage in one location. I'm looking forward to working with the Yap Visitors Bureau over the next year to create and setup the Beall memorial site that will include markers and signs so we can always remember the men such as Lt. Beall that lost their lives on Yap Island at such a young age. A man is not dead unless he is forgotten! I have additional information about including pictures posted at the following link.
Please feel free to send comments and questions to Pat Ranfranz: pat@missingaircrew.com
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