What began as a single mission to honor WWII veterans by bringing them to see their memorial in 2005 has now honored more than 300,000 veterans in over 129 hubs nationwide. Central Valley Honor Flight lifted off Sept. 16-18 for the 29th flight with 67 Korean and Vietnam war veterans on board. Their journey took them on a private capital tour along with visiting the memorials that both honor their military branches and their service. Participation in the Honor Flight allows each veteran alongside their guardian, to remember the fallen, share their stories and for many, the first time they feel valued and honored for their service. This series highlights many of the unforgettable stories from Central Valley Honor Flight 29 as Fresno Christian Schools aims to raise awareness and funds for this organization during our 39th Annual Homecoming.
Marvin “Marv” Beil is a living hero affectionately know as Doc. He enlisted as a flight surgeon from 1959-1961 with the 110th Fighter Group, earning the rank of Major. He saved many lives during his time in the military and continued practicing medicine in Fresno, CA as an ear, nose and throat doctor until 2021.
Beil is a native of Clear Lake, CA, born in 1932. He grew up with a flight surgeon father, who was the commanding surgeon for the 9th Air Force fighting overseas during WWII. Beil was inspired by his father and would eventually follow in his footsteps.
Being a flight surgeon, his role was to take care of any medical issues during the flight and evaluate pilots to make sure they were in good health. He clocked more than 50 hours in F-100 aircrafts and was even given the chance to fire the guns occasionally, just for fun.
Beil was very close with his pilots. One time he turned down an opportunity to fly and later found out both pilots were killed.
One of his jobs as a flight surgeon was air accident investigation, which is a very grisly job. Beil would go to the scene of an aircraft accident and collect evidence to determine what happened. His medical knowledge helped him to be able to examine bodies to gain more information. Once he had to pull a deceased general out of the Susquehanna River after a crash.
For his time in the military, he was invited to go on the 29th Central Valley Honor Flight and was excited for the opportunity to participate. This gave him and many other veterans the proper recognition and thank you they deserve. His son, Steve Beil, volunteered to be his guardian and guide him along the journey.
Beil loved the entire trip, but two of his favorite moments were during their visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a special visit to the F-100 memorial at the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum at Dulles Airport. Beil specifically asked to go to the F-100 memorial, and they were able to accommodate. He felt honored that he was able to see his name on the tribute and recognized for his heroism during his service.
“I requested a special trip which was granted and it was a highlight of the entire experience,” Beil said. “I was very involved in the aviation side of the F-100, which were fighter aircraft that now have a special exhibit. Seeing my name on the plaque was very meaningful.”
Central Valley Honor Flight logistics coordinator Joe Fry helped make Beil’s special side trip possible after Beil’s son told them he would never have another opportunity again at the age of 91. According to Fry the “stars alined” and the timing worked with the fast paced itinerary to drive him 45 min to the museum at Dullas Airport.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a resting place for soldiers who died but their remains have not been identified. Veterans took in the changing of the guard ceremony and four veterans were chosen to lay a wreath. This was special for him as it touched his heart to see the honor given to so many soldiers who never got a proper burial.
Upon leaving the ceremony, veterans were surprised by a group of students who were visiting Arlington National Cemetery. They had created a tunnel and as veterans came out they received an overwhelming amount of appreciation with hand shakes, hugs and thank you’s. Marv Beil was grateful for the admiration students showed him.
“I loved seeing the attitude of the students, all their sincere and loving faces,” Beil said. “They were just so positive, they thanked you for your service and they were really serious about it.”
Paul Loeffler, co-founder of Central Valley Honor Flight helps with the preparation and execution of each flight that has deeply impacted him and the many volunteers.
“It has enriched all of our lives,” Loeffler said. “It gives us perspective because we hear the stories and we understand the things someone else went through so we would not have to.”
Today, Beil is 91 years old. His efforts as a flight surgeon and doctor were recognized by Honor Flight along with others heroism and bravery for their sacrifices.
To read more about the Honor Flight organization visit their Home page.
To donate to Central Valley Honor Flight visit this link.
To read more from The Feather visit: Central Valley’s 29th Honor Flight or HONOR FLIGHT: Robbi Huckaby Veteran
Join us for Fresno Christian’s 39th Annual Homecoming, Oct. 11, 6 p.m.
James • Oct 7, 2024 at 3:09 pm
Good job drew!