James Dale Beans is a retired, highly decorated officer in the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
with the rank of
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
. He is most noted for his service as the assistant chief of staff for Command, Control, Communications, and Computer, Intelligence and Interoperability Department and as director,
Intelligence Division,
Headquarters Marine Corps
Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions. The function, ...
. He is the son of Brigadier General
Fred D. Beans.
Early career
James D. Beans was born on December 21, 1934, at
Annapolis, Maryland, as the son of Marine officer,
Fred D. Beans and Elizabeth Stehle. He spent his early years in
Peking
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
and
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
,
China where his father was stationed with
6th Marines
The 6th Marine Regiment (also referred to as "6th Marines") is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The regiment falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Division of th ...
, before his family returned to the United States and settled in Annapolis. Upon the graduation from the high school, Beans entered the
Severn School
Severn School was founded in 1914 by Roland M. Teel in Severna Park, Maryland, as a preparatory school for the United States Naval Academy. In 2013, Severn School merged with nearby Chesapeake Academy. Currently the school enrolls boys and girl ...
, a
preparatory school for the Naval Academy, where he spent one year, before he was admitted to the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
in
Annapolis, Maryland, in June 1953.
During his time at the academy, Beans was active in
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...
team and also achieved athletic fame in pool and bridge. He graduated with
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
on June 7, 1957, and was commissioned second lieutetenant in the Marine Corps on that date. Beans was subsequently ordered to
the Basic School
The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines". The Basic School is located at Camp Barrett, Quantico, Vi ...
at
Marine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southeas ...
and completed his basic officer training in May 1958. He was then sent to the
Camp Lejeune
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( Wilming ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
and served consecutively as Platoon Commander, Company Executive Officer and Battalion Adjutant with
1st Battalion, 8th Marines until November 1959.
He was subsequently transferred to the
2nd Force Reconnaissance Company as Supply and Service Platoon Commander, and later, as the
Pathfinder
Pathfinder may refer to:
Businesses
* Pathfinder Energy Services, a division of Smith International
* Pathfinder Press, a publisher of socialist literature
Computing and information science
* Path Finder, a Macintosh file browser
* Pathfinder ( ...
Platoon Commander. While in this capacity, Beans was promoted to first lieutenant on December 7, 1958, and to captain on May 1, 1962. He served with 2nd Reconnaissance Company until December 1962, when he assumed duty as commanding officer, Marine Detachment aboard the cruiser
USS ''Little Rock''.
Beans participated in the cruise to the Mediterranean and later to the Middle East and was ordered back to Camp Lejeune in mid-1964. He then served consecutively as company commander, intelligence and operations officer in the
1st Battalion, 6th Marines
The 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (1/6) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. It consists of approximately 1,100 marines and sailors. They fall under the command of the 6th Marine Regiment ...
under lieutenant colonel
William F. Doehler, and participated in operations in the
Dominican Republic during the Civil War in May–June 1965.
Upon his return to the United States at the beginning of June of that year, Beans remained with 6th Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, before he received orders for deployment to South Vietnam in August 1966.
Vietnam War
First Tour
Beans joined the
1st Battalion, 9th Marines
The 1st Battalion 9th Marines (1/9) was an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I, it served until the mid-2000s when it was deactivated to make room for one of three light armor reconnaissance battalions ...
,
3rd Marine Division
The 3rd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with th ...
south of
Da Nang, where it conducted numerous
search and destroy
Search and destroy, seek and destroy, or simply S&D is a military strategy best known for its employment in the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War. The strategy consists of inserting ground forces into hostile territory, ''search''ing out ...
operations to find the enemy, while strengthening the civic action programs to secure relations with the Vietnamese people, and free the people from the constant threat of
Viet Cong
,
, war = the Vietnam War
, image = FNL Flag.svg
, caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green.
, active ...
terrorism. However this duty lasted just until the end of September 1966, when it was ordered to
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
,
Japan and attached to the
9th Marine Amphibious Brigade
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
. The brigade served as the Special Landing Force of the
Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of ...
.
Following the promotion to major on January 1, 1967, Beans was sent back to
South Vietnam and appointed operations officer,
4th Marine Regiment
The 4th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. Based at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, it is part of the 3rd Marine Division of the III Marine Expeditionary Force.
Mission
Close with and destroy the enemy by fi ...
at
Phu Bai under Colonel William L. Dick. The Fourth Marines participated as the part of
3rd Marine Division
The 3rd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with th ...
under Major General
Bruno Hochmuth
Bruno Arthur Hochmuth (May 10, 1911 – November 14, 1967) was a United States Marine Corps major general who was killed in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He was the first and only Marine Corps division commander to be killed in any ...
in
Operations Prairie,
Prairie IV,
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...
or
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
. On November 14, 1967, General Hochmuth and five others were riding in a helicopter on an inspection tour near the city of
Huế
Huế () is the capital of Thừa Thiên Huế province in central Vietnam and was the capital of Đàng Trong from 1738 to 1775 and of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The city served as the old Imperial City and admi ...
, when his helicopter exploded and crashed soon after it took off. Colonel Dick and Beans learned of the crash around 1400 on November 14 and both reached the crash site quickly by their own helicopter.
Dick and Beans spotted the General Hochmuth's
Huey Helicopter upside down in a rice paddy filled to the brim by the heavy rains which had been falling for several weeks. They reached the wreckage, where were flames on the water's surface around the aircraft. Accompanied by the regimental
Sergeant Major
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
History
In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in th ...
, who tried to extinguish the fire, Dick and Beans commenced diving beneath the surface, groping through the water for possible survivors.
Beans and others recovered six who had died in the crash including the body of General Hochmuth, who was still sitting in the rear seat of the helicopter, the spot where he usually traveled when visiting the various command posts.
Soon after this incident, Beans completed his tour of duty and was ordered back to the United States under rotation policy. For his service in Vietnam, he was decorated with
Bronze Star Medal and
Navy Commendation Medal
The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...
, both with
Combat "V"
Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
and also received
Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Star.
Stateside Duty
Upon his return to the States in December 1967, Beans was ordered to Quantico, where he was appointed company commander and instructor at
the Basic School
The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines". The Basic School is located at Camp Barrett, Quantico, Vi ...
. He participated in the training of newly commissioned Marine officers until January 1970, when he was sent to the
Naval Postgraduate School in
Monterey, California. Beans graduated with
Master of Science
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...
degree in
Computer Science
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (includi ...
in December 1971. After a brief stint back at Quantico with the Basic School, Beans received orders for his second deployment to South Vietnam.
Second Tour
Beans arrived to
Saigon in March 1972 and assumed duty as advisor, Marine Advisory Unit. He served as the Senior Infantry Advisor to the
9th Vietnamese Marine Corps Infantry Battalion engaged in combat operations to defend the Song O-Khe bridgehead on National Route ONE, nine miles Southeast of
Quang Tri City. On May 2, 1972, North Vietnamese Army commenced massive enemy artillery barrage, which struck the bridgehead area for twenty minutes and subsequently launched a bold well-coordinated North Vietnamese Infantry battalion assault from the North, supported by eighteen enemy tanks
T-54/T-55
The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet main battle tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tank ...
.
Three of the lead tanks successfully breached the bridgehead defenses, rapidly crossed the bridge and penetrated the 9th Battalion's Command Post area on the South bank of the Song O'Khe River. A fierce close-quarter enemy tank versus Marine infantrymen battle ensued. Beans calmly responded to this critical situation by calling for and receiving
close air support aircraft which isolated the enemy tanks and permitted their destruction. He then moved to an exposed observation position where he directed intensely accurate air strikes on the remainder of the enemy tanks and infantry.
During this crucial moments he was subjected to intense enemy automatic weapons and tank fire. With complete disregard for his own personal safety, he remained in his exposed position and resolutely persisted in his accurate direction of devastating air strikes that destroyed much of the enemy armor. Beans contributed to the 9th Vietnamese Battalion's success in repelling the enemy's coordinated attack and directly attributed to the safe passage of over 10,000 friendly troops to the
Hue City area. For his leadership and bravery in action, Beans was decorated with
Silver Star.
Following the battle, Beans served as advisor at the headquarters of 369th Vietnamese Marine Brigade and subsequently assumed duty as Logistics advisor at the headquarters, Vietnamese Marine Corps. He remained in South Vietnam until March 1973 and received
Legion of Merit with
Combat "V"
Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...
for his service and also was decorated with
Vietnam Staff Service Medal, 1st Class and second
Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Star.
Later career
Upon his return to the United States, Beans assumed duty at headquarters,
Fleet Marine Force, Pacific on
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
and served under lieutenant general
Louis H. Wilson Jr. as director, Automated Services Center and subsequently, as assistant chief of staff for management. He departed Hawaii in June 1976 and entered the Senior Course at the
Marine Corps Command and Staff College
Marine Corps University is a professional military education university system of the United States Marine Corps. It is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Master's Degrees.
H ...
at
Quantico, Virginia
Quantico ( or ; formerly Potomac) is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, DC, bordered by the Potomac River to the east ...
.
He graduated one year later and joined the
1st Marine Division
The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF).
It is th ...
under Major General
Edward A. Wilcox at
Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. Beans served as lieutenant colonel and executive officer,
5th Marine Regiment until March 1978, when assumed command,
1st Battalion, 5th Marines
1st Battalion, 5th Marines (1/5) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 800 Marines and sailors. Nicknamed ''Geronimo'', it falls under ...
.
Beans was sent to the Executive Seminar for National and International Affairs in August 1979 and following the graduation in June of the following year, he was promoted to colonel and joined the
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...
. He first served as the Southeast Asia Branch Chief for Military Plans (J-5) until May 15, 1981, when he was reassigned as the Marine Corps Member to the Chairman's Staff Group,
Office of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
While in this capacity, Beans served consecutively under Generals
David C. Jones and
John William Vessey Jr. and was responsible for such diverse matters as readiness, force deployments, security assistance, exercises, and contingency planning for the Pacific, Southwest Asian and Indian Ocean areas. He provided direct and substantive inputs to Department of Defense and interagency planning. Additionally, he proposed invaluable advice and counsel while accompanying the chairman on official trips to military facilities and operational units in
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
,
Japan,
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
and the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. On each occasion, he prepared the chairman for discussions with heads of state and other high-level officials.
He remained in this capacity until June 24, 1983, and received
Defense Superior Service Medal for his service. Beans subsequently served as the deputy director, Personnel Management Division,
Headquarters Marine Corps
Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions. The function, ...
and was promoted to
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
on May 10, 1984.
Beans was subsequently sent back to
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
,
Japan, and assumed duty as assistant division commander,
3rd Marine Division
The 3rd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with th ...
under Major General
Edwin J. Godfrey. While in this capacity, Beans also held additional duty as commanding general,
9th Amphibious Brigade and deputy commander,
III Marine Amphibious Force
III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps. It is forward-deployed and able to rapidly conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and ...
.
He returned to the United States in July 1985 and served as the commander, Forward Headquarters Element/Inspector General for the
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Ta ...
with headquarters at
MacDill Air Force Base
MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida.
The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. Beans served in this capacity under General
George B. Crist until August 1986, when he was ordered to
Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
for duty as the Commanding General,
5th Marine Brigade, which served as a
Marine Air-Ground Task Force of
Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (FMFPac).
While at Camp Pendleton, Beans was assigned additional duty as the commanding general,
Landing Force Training Command, Pacific, on September 3, 1987, and was responsible for the amphibious training of FMFPac units until May 5, 1988.
Beans subsequently assumed his final duty as the assistant chief of staff for Command, Control, Communications, and Computer, Intelligence and Interoperability Department and as director,
Intelligence Division,
Headquarters Marine Corps
Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) is a headquarters staff within the Department of the Navy which includes the offices of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps and various staff functions. The function, ...
. While in this capacity, he was responsible for establishment of sound policies and procedures for the department that will serve the intelligence community and the Marine Corps for years to come. During his tenure, the Marine Corps' participation in the Worldwide Military Command and Control System more than doubled, and the network was extended throughout Fleet Marine Force (FMF), Atlantic and Pacific.
Additionally, Beans laid the groundwork for a secure video teleconferencing network which allowed commanders and action officers to conduct "face-to-face" meetings and briefings without the time and cost consumed by travel. He significantly improved the intelligence posture of both FMF's and the National Intelligence Community and often developed, represented, and defended Marine Corps positions on intelligence and counterintelligence matters.
Retirement
He retired from active duty on July 1, 1989, and was decorated with the
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation.
Examples include:
*Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action
* Distinguishe ...
for his service at Headquarters Marine Corps. Beans then settled in
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax ( ), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth ...
, where he operated his own business in commercial services. He is married to June Wolfe Bruton and has one son and one daughter.
Medals and decorations
Here is the ribbon bar of Brigadier General Beans:
See also
*
Bruno Hochmuth
Bruno Arthur Hochmuth (May 10, 1911 – November 14, 1967) was a United States Marine Corps major general who was killed in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. He was the first and only Marine Corps division commander to be killed in any ...
*
Fred D. Beans
References
:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beans, James D.
Living people
People from Annapolis, Maryland
United States Marine Corps generals
United States Naval Academy alumni
Naval Postgraduate School alumni
United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War
Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Recipients of the Silver Star
Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam)
1934 births