Paul W. Beck
Encyclopedia
Paul Ward Beck was an officer in the United States Army
, an aviation pioneer, and one of the first military pilots. Although a career Infantry
officer, Beck twice was part of the first air services of the U.S. Army, first as nominal head of the flying section of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps
in 1911-12, then as part of the Air Service in 1920-1922. He is generally credited as being the first military officer to advocate a separate aviation air arm. He is frequently confused by aviation writers to be civilian aviator Paul Peck(1889–1912) because of their similar sounding names. Adding to the confusion between Beck & Peck was the fact that both men flew out of College Park Maryland
in the same years.
Beck, the son of a cavalry officer, developed an interest in aviation while detached to temporary service with the U.S. Army Signal Corps at Benecia, California, in 1908, attending several aviation meets. He was one of four students in the first class of U.S. Army and U.S. Navy pilot trainees taught by Glen Curtiss beginning 17 January 1911, and after his promotion to captain in March, commanded the privisional aero company at Fort Sam Houston
, Texas
, until 1 May 1912, when he returned to the Infantry as required by Army regulation.
Following service in World War I
, Beck returned to flying, becoming part of the newly established Air Service in 1920 and promoted to lieutenant colonel. Beck was made commandant of Post Field at Fort Sill
, and while in that position was killed by a gunshot to the head during an evening with friends. The shooting was a disputed mystery, with friends, colleagues and an Army investigating board suspecting that Beck was murdered for being caught in flagrante delicto with the wife of a friend following an evening of drinking. However the shooter, a well-known judge on the Oklahoma Supreme Court
, contended that the shooting was an accident during an act of self-defense after Beck had allegedly tried to sexually assault the shooter's wife in their home. The judge was exonerated by a coroner's jury of wrong-doing in the shooting.
, a frontier outpost of the U.S. Army. His father, an American Civil War
cavalryman, was a first lieutenant
in the Regular Army
and a troop officer with the 10th Cavalry Regiment. Willam H. Beck later became lieutenant colonel
of the 8th Cavalry and a brigadier general
before his death in 1911.
Paul Beck was commissioned a second lieutenant
in the 5th Infantry
on 1 September 1899, then promoted to first lieutenant
on 25 July 1902 while serving with the 5th Infantry at Vigan, Luzon
. He subsequently attended three service branch courses, graduating from the Infantry School, the Cavalry School in 1905, and the Signal Corps School in 1906. On 4 February 1907 he was assigned to the Signal Corps on detached service and stationed at Benicia Barracks, California. On 11 March 1911, while on service with the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps
, Beck was promoted to captain.
Captain Beck was recalled to the Infantry on 1 May 1912 and promoted to brevet
major
on 5 August 1917. He was promoted to brevet
lieutenant colonel
on 5 August 1918. On 28 August 1919 his rank of Major, Infantry, was made permanent, and he rose to his final grade of lieutenant colonel
on 20 July 1920.
After the passage of the National Defense Act of 1920 made it a combatant arm, Beck transferred on 9 August from the Infantry to the Air Service. Beck took additional pilot training at Carlstrom Field
, Florida
between 30 September 1920 and 31 March 1921 before becoming commandant of Henry Post Army Airfield
at Fort Sill
, Oklahoma
, on 14 April 1921.
Unsourced information indicates that Beck married Ruth Evelyn Everett {died 7/22/1921} of Lyons, Nebraska
, in April 1898, and that they had a son, Paul Ward Beck, Jr., born 27 February 1897. Mrs. Beck, a graduate of the Fremont Normal School
in Fremont, Nebraska
, (a teacher's college
), was at the time a noted author of short stories and works on American Indians
. Paul Beck, Jr. also became an Army officer.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, an aviation pioneer, and one of the first military pilots. Although a career Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
officer, Beck twice was part of the first air services of the U.S. Army, first as nominal head of the flying section of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps
Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps
The Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps was the world's first heavier-than-air military aviation organization and the progenitor of the United States Air Force. A component of the U.S...
in 1911-12, then as part of the Air Service in 1920-1922. He is generally credited as being the first military officer to advocate a separate aviation air arm. He is frequently confused by aviation writers to be civilian aviator Paul Peck(1889–1912) because of their similar sounding names. Adding to the confusion between Beck & Peck was the fact that both men flew out of College Park Maryland
College Park Airport
College Park Airport is a public airport located in the City of College Park, in Prince Georges County, Maryland, USA. It is the world's oldest continuously operated airport.-History:...
in the same years.
Beck, the son of a cavalry officer, developed an interest in aviation while detached to temporary service with the U.S. Army Signal Corps at Benecia, California, in 1908, attending several aviation meets. He was one of four students in the first class of U.S. Army and U.S. Navy pilot trainees taught by Glen Curtiss beginning 17 January 1911, and after his promotion to captain in March, commanded the privisional aero company at Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, until 1 May 1912, when he returned to the Infantry as required by Army regulation.
Following service in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Beck returned to flying, becoming part of the newly established Air Service in 1920 and promoted to lieutenant colonel. Beck was made commandant of Post Field at Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, and while in that position was killed by a gunshot to the head during an evening with friends. The shooting was a disputed mystery, with friends, colleagues and an Army investigating board suspecting that Beck was murdered for being caught in flagrante delicto with the wife of a friend following an evening of drinking. However the shooter, a well-known judge on the Oklahoma Supreme Court
Oklahoma Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and leads the Oklahoma Court System, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma....
, contended that the shooting was an accident during an act of self-defense after Beck had allegedly tried to sexually assault the shooter's wife in their home. The judge was exonerated by a coroner's jury of wrong-doing in the shooting.
Biography and military career
Beck was born to William Henry Beck and Rachel Wyatt Elizabeth Tongate Beck on 1 December 1876 at Fort McKavett, TexasFort McKavett State Historic Site
Fort McKavett State Historic Site is a state park in Menard County, Texas, United States. Fort McKavett was a frontier fort established as Camp San Saba in 1852 to protect settlers from Indian raids...
, a frontier outpost of the U.S. Army. His father, an American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
cavalryman, was a first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
in the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
and a troop officer with the 10th Cavalry Regiment. Willam H. Beck later became lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
of the 8th Cavalry and a brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
before his death in 1911.
Paul Beck was commissioned a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 5th Infantry
5th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 5th Infantry Regiment is the third-oldest infantry regiment of the United States Army, tracing its origins to 1808...
on 1 September 1899, then promoted to first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
on 25 July 1902 while serving with the 5th Infantry at Vigan, Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. He subsequently attended three service branch courses, graduating from the Infantry School, the Cavalry School in 1905, and the Signal Corps School in 1906. On 4 February 1907 he was assigned to the Signal Corps on detached service and stationed at Benicia Barracks, California. On 11 March 1911, while on service with the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps
Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps
The Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps was the world's first heavier-than-air military aviation organization and the progenitor of the United States Air Force. A component of the U.S...
, Beck was promoted to captain.
Captain Beck was recalled to the Infantry on 1 May 1912 and promoted to brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
on 5 August 1917. He was promoted to brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
on 5 August 1918. On 28 August 1919 his rank of Major, Infantry, was made permanent, and he rose to his final grade of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
on 20 July 1920.
After the passage of the National Defense Act of 1920 made it a combatant arm, Beck transferred on 9 August from the Infantry to the Air Service. Beck took additional pilot training at Carlstrom Field
Arcadia, Florida
Arcadia is a city in DeSoto County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,604 as of the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city grew to 7,151. It is the county seat of DeSoto County; it is also DeSoto County's only incorporated community. On October 27, 2009,...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
between 30 September 1920 and 31 March 1921 before becoming commandant of Henry Post Army Airfield
Henry Post Army Airfield
Henry Post Army Airfield is a military use airport located at Fort Sill in Comanche County, Oklahoma, United States. This military airport is owned by United States Army. It is the oldest continually operating airfield in the U.S. Army inventory...
at Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, on 14 April 1921.
Unsourced information indicates that Beck married Ruth Evelyn Everett {died 7/22/1921} of Lyons, Nebraska
Lyons, Nebraska
Lyons is a city in Burt County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 851 in the 2010 U.S. Census. The city is named after its founder.-History :...
, in April 1898, and that they had a son, Paul Ward Beck, Jr., born 27 February 1897. Mrs. Beck, a graduate of the Fremont Normal School
Midland Lutheran College
Midland University, formerly Midland Lutheran College, is a private liberal arts college, located in Fremont, Nebraska, USA, and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America...
in Fremont, Nebraska
Fremont, Nebraska
Fremont is a city in and the county seat of Dodge County, Nebraska, United States, near Omaha in the eastern part of the state. The population was 26,397 at the 2010 census....
, (a teacher's college
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
), was at the time a noted author of short stories and works on American Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. Paul Beck, Jr. also became an Army officer.