BEAN, JAMES ELLIS
Deceased 01/03/2006
Name: James Ellis Bean
Rank/Branch: United States Air Force/O6
Unit: 388 TFW
Date of Birth: 05 December 1923
Home City of Record: Coxs Creeks KY
Date of Loss: 03 January 1968
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 213600 North 1052700 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D
Missions:
1942 -- joined the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Assigned later to the European Theater where he flew 41 combat
missions in the P-47 in France and Germany.
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno: 0962
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews. Updated 2006.
REMARKS:730314 RELEASED BY DRV
SOURCE: WE CAME HOME copyright 1977
Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor
P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and
spelling errors).
JAMES E. BEAN
Colonel - United States Air Force
Shot Down: January 3, 1966
Released: March 14, 1973
Colonel James E. Bean is currently a student at the Industrial College of
the Armed Forces. He is enrolled in an intensive ten-month program of
graduate level training for selected military officers and civilian
personnel in the study of the management of resources for national security.
Colonel Bean was born December 5, 1923 on a farm at Cox's Creek, Kentucky,
near Stephen Collins Foster's "Ole Kentucky Home." He graduated from
Bardstown High School, Kentucky, in 1942 and was elected President of
Kentucky Future Farmers of America. He entered the University of Kentucky in
the fall of 1942 where he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in November. In
February 1943 he was called to active duty and was commissioned a Second
Lieutenant in January, 1944. He remained at Foster Field, Texas, as an
Advanced Flying School instructor. He was later assigned to the European
Theater where he flew 41 combat missions in the P-47 in France and Germany.
Returning to the United States in 1947, Colonel Bean spent the next 12
years in various assignments flying and testing the Air Force's newest
fighter aircraft. In 1960 he was assigned to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada,
to establish and operate the F-105 aircraft flight training program for all
Air Force units. His next assignment carried him to Japan with the 8th
Tactical Fighter Wing from which he served several short tours in Southeast
Asia. He served as an Air Force duty officer in the Pentagon in 1966 and
1967 until he volunteered and was assigned to the 388th Tactical Fighter
Wing, Korat Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand, in October, 1967.
On January 3, 1968 while flying an F-105 combat mission over North Vietnam,
his aircraft was shot down 30 miles north of Hanoi. Colonel Bean was
captured by the North Vietnamese and held in Prisoner of War status for more
than five years until his release on March 14, 1973.
James Bean retired from the United States Air Force as a Colonel. He resided
in Kentucky with his wife until his peaceful death Jan 3, 2006.
===================================
Full circle - Pursifull makes emotional journey to present POW bracelet to
family
by STEPHANIE REED Ledger Staff Writer
Published: Friday, September 1, 2006 12:57 PM CDT
On Tuesday, Brian Pursifull is going to make a very important trip. He is
going to drive to Bardstown, Ky. to carry the prisoner of war bracelet of
Col. James Bean back to his family.
When Pursifull was a child, POW bracelets were a trend. He bought his at a
local drugstore in Wellsville, where he grew up.
The bracelets were created in 1970 and gained popularity as a way to support
soldiers who were missing in action or were POWs. Traditionally, they were
presented to the soldiers when they returned home.
"At that time, I must have been 8 or 9 years old, and I really didn't
understand what a POW was, but it looked cool because everybody had it,"
remembered Pursifull.
He also remembers watching scenes of the Vietnam War on television, where he
saw graphic depictions of war and he read about the number of casualties
sustained on both sides.
He wore the bracelet through high school and then put it on his mantel. The
bracelet was worn only on special occasions such as Veteran's Day events.
"I'm proud of it," Pursifull pointed out.
During the Elks Veterans Appreciation Air Show held last month at the Mexico
Memorial Airport-Hagan Brothers Field in Mexico, Pursifull invited a group
of veterans on behalf of the Elks Lodge. While helping one of the elderly
veterans in a wheelchair, the veteran spoke with Pursifull.
"He patted me on the hand and he said, 'You know, son, don't thank me.' He
told me that and it will always stick in my mind. 'We need to start thinking
more about the people we left behind,' and it hit me real hard," said
Pursifull. "I knew it was time for this bracelet to go to Col. Bean or his
family."
However, this task was easier said than done. Pursifull enlisted the help of
a friend, Jessica Zumbehl, to help him find the colonel. Through some
Internet searching, Zumbehl found him.
She called Pursifull and told him she had both good news and bad news. The
good news was she found him and the bad news was that he had recently died.
"It doesn't belong to me, it belongs to the Bean family and I wanted to get
in touch with them and let them know that I was coming to bring the bracelet
to them," said Pursifull.
The number that Zumbehl provided was to the home of Charles Bean, Col.
Bean's brother. Through Charles Bean, Pursifull got in touch with Nancy
Bean, James Bean's widow, who lives in Bardstown, Ky.
Pursifull was excited to receive the message from Nancy Bean. He has saved
the message on his answering machine:
"What a wonderful, wonderful message to hear that you have his bracelet from
when he was a POW," said Nancy Bean in the message, "I would love to have
the bracelet."
Nancy Bean was also able to tell Pursifull more about her husband through
phone conversations.
Bean was in the U.S. Air Force and his plane was shot down over Hanoi on
Jan. 3, 1968. He returned home on March 14, 1973. After retiring from the
Air Force, he bought a strip of land and started a small farming operation.
Nancy Bean made sure to point out that her husband was an active part of the
community.
"He was very proud of his service to his country," said Pursifull. "He
always put emphasis on the how important it is that we take care of our
young men and women who make the sacrifice and especially the one's that
make the ultimate sacrifice."
Bean lost his battle with emphazema on Jan. 4, 2006 at the age of 82. He
received a full military funeral.
In a speech before the House of Representatives Rep. Ron Lewis, listed the
organizations Bean was a part of. He was a member of the Bardstown High
School Hall of Fame, State President of Future Farmers of America, a
Shriner, Mason, Kentucky Colonel, member of the American Legion and a
Kentucky Pork Producer.
"James Bean's remarkable life is one of a true American hero," said Lewis in
the March 2 speech. "His distinguished service and unique sacrifice for his
country represent the very best of what it means to be an American soldier."
Pursifull is certainly appreciative of the information about the life of
Bean. "I feel like I've known this man for 40 years and I've never even seen
him," said Pursifull.
He will leave early on Tuesday to present the bracelet to the Bean family
and talk a little more with the people who knew the colonel. He is also
going to visit James Bean's grave.
Pursifull admits the trip will be an emotional one, but he is happy to be
making it.
"It's been a proud 40-some years to have it, but I think it's going to be a
very emotional few minutes when I get rid of it," said Pursifull. "I don't
feel like I'll be giving him up when I take him to his family because he'll
always be a member of this family."
Pursifull has always been an active supporter of veterans and puts in hours
visiting at the Missouri Veteran's Home.
"The respect that I do have for the veterans - because of them is the reason
I can own a house and live the way I do," said Pursifull. "It doesn't take
any time at all just to say thank you. We take them for granted, we really
do."
The experience of finding the Bean family and going to Kentucky will change
Pursifull's perspective.
"I think it's a turning point in my life as far as putting a little more
emphasis maybe not so much on myself, but spending more time out at the
Veteran's Home."
Posted 9/1/06
=================================
Pursifull has emotional meeting with POW's wife
by STEPHANIE REED Ledger Staff Writer
Published: Friday, September 29, 2006 1:02 PM CDT
After The Mexico Ledger ran a story about Brian Pursifull's upcoming trip to
return a POW bracelet he bought as a child to the family of Col. James Bean,
he received plenty of letters and phone calls of encouragement.
Pursifull also heard from several people who have their own POW bracelets
and have expressed interest in finding the owners. Pursifull was thrilled to
hear this sort of news, knowing that if their experience was anything like
his, they would be lucky.
Accompanied by a close and supportive friend, Scott Vomund, Pursifull drove
to Kentucky to see Bean's grave and return the bracelet to Nancy Bean, the
colonel's wife. Col. Bean returned from Vietnam in 1973, but died in January
of this year.
Driving approximately five miles outside of the small town of Bardstown,
Ky., a small cemetery popped out of the woods.
"All of the sudden there's this small, delicate cemetery," described
Pursifull. "Then, out of no where, there's this tall flag pole. It was out
of this world."
The grave had a picture of Bean and his wife and was engraved with Bean's
name. There was also a military stone.
The experience, for Pursifull was both emotional and familiar.
"I felt so at peace out there. In a way, it was like going to visit my
grandfather," said Pursifull.
Pursifull said a few prayers and said a thank you to the man he felt had
been a part of his life for 40 years.
With the bracelet soon to be returned to Bean's wife, Pursifull felt he
needed something else to go on his mantle to remember the colonel and other
veterans. He took a silk rose with the American flag screen printed on each
petal from a wreath on the grave.
The next stop on the trip was a visit with Nancy Bean. Pursifull spent a
little time walking through the town, where he found out that the colonel
was known by almost everyone in the small Kentucky town.
He met Nancy Bean at a small Bistro. "When we walked in, we immediately made
eye contact," described Pursifull. "She knew who I was and I knew who she
was."
Pursifull presented the bracelet to Nancy Bean. "I knew at that time that he
was finally home," said Pursifull.
He was also able to learn a little more about Bean. Nancy Bean told him that
the colonel had volunteered to serve in Vietnam, even though he could have
stayed stateside. Before serving in Vietnam, he had flown 41 combat missions
in World War II.
Nancy Bean pointed out that her husband would be proud of Pursifull for
making the trip to return the bracelet.
Pursifull also learned a quote Col. Bean had used often. It is a quote
Pursifull has decided to get engraved on a plaque. "Freedom don't come free,
so savor it, enjoy it, for so many have died for it."
The night before the trip, Pursifull received a surprising call from the
Little Dixie Shrine Club. After reading Bean had been a Shriner, the group
insisted on paying some of the fuel costs for Pursifull's trip.
"How lucky we are, here in Mexico, Missouri , to have clubs like the Little
Dixie Shrine Club," he said.
Others who helped with the trip include Pursifull's wife. "My wife has put
up with this stuff for 20 years," said Pursifull. "She's always been behind
me one hundred percent."
Two friends who also helped with the trip were Jessica Zumbehl, who found
the information on Bean and his family, and Vomund.
Of course, Pursifull, also has plenty of gratitude towards the veterans. "I
listened to their stories, and they listened to mine," said Pursifull.
"Never forget the veterans."
The trip was full of both emotion and relief for Pursifull. "Talk about one
short day," said Pursifull. "My journey is over, but his is too. He's home."