was brought down by German fire from the ground. He was captured and interrogated by the famous Hanns Scharff. In a prisoner-of-war camp Beeson passed the time boxing, reading, and studying. The camp was liberated by Soviet forces on April 29, 1945. It took Beeson nearly a month to make it back to Debden. While a prisoner of war, Beeson had been promoted to major and had received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with five oak leaf clusters, and the Air Medal, most of which were presented to his parents at Gowen Field. Post war He returned to Boise in June 1945 and made every effort to get reassigned to the Pacific theatre, but the Pacific War soon ended. Beeson was reassigned to Sarasota, Florida, where he met his future wife, Tracy Waters. They married in Baltimore in January 1946. Soon afterward Beeson became violently ill. Doctors diagnosed a brain tumor and Beeson was flown to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. for an operation. He died before the operation could be performed. He was just 25 years old. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In November 1993, the Duane W. Beeson Terminal Building was named in his honor. Military decorations Beeson's awards include: References Further reading Air Force Magazine December 1944, "Portrait of a Crew Chief, Sgt. Samuel W. Taylor" Fry, Garry; The Duane Beeson Story, American Aviation Historical Society, Winter, 1978 Duane Beeson Gun Camera Films External links 4th Fighter Group Association World War II Duane Beeson at acesofww2.com 1921 births 1947 deaths American World War II flying aces Aviators from Idaho Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Deaths from brain cancer in Washington, D.C. Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Silver Star United States Army Air Forces officers United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium) American Royal Air Force pilots of World War II American prisoners of war in World War II World War II prisoners of war held by Germany