George Bullard was a long-time family friend; he and my father were classmates at USNA, class of 1938. George was captured by the Japanese after being shot down and spent two years as a POW. Shortly after the war was over, my father was stationed at NAS Patuxent. One afternoon he calls home and tells my mother that he’s bringing an old friend home for dinner, but doesn’t say who. So, good navy wife, she whips up something nice and on schedule in walks my father with tall, but very, very skinny, George Bullard. She’s horrified . . . dinner is chicken and RICE! Forever after, George was happy to visit as long as my mother promised nothing with rice in it. George and my father were promoted to Rear Admiral at about the same time in 1966, being, literally, a couple of numbers different in lineage. Unfortunately, while on leave shortly thereafter, George Bullard was felled by a heart attack. My father always said that George never really fully recovered from a couple of years as a guest of the Japanese and that his death was the result of the long term effect.
Marshall Beebe, indeed, commanded Air Group 5 on USS Essex during the Korean War, reporting as CAG July 1950. For his performance as CAG5 he was awarded the Legion of Merit with Combat “V”, the Distinguished Flying Cross (his 4th DFC award) and two Air Medals (his 10th and 11th AM awards). He commanded USS Pyro from September 1959 to November 1960 and then took command of USS Bon Homme Richard in December 1960. In January 1962 he became Chief of Staff to ComCarDivThree from which he retired in March 1963. Captain Beebe’s awards included the Navy Cross, Legion of Merit with Combat “V,” Distinguished Flying Cross with three Gold Stars; the Air Medal with ten Gold Stars, Purple Heart Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon and the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon. His service and campaign medals included the American Defense Service Medal; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Korean Service Medal; and the United Nations Service Medal.