Captain EDWARD L. BEACH, also known by the nickname "Ned" was a life-long US Navy officer. His father before him had been a US Navy officer and among his assignments, the elder Beach was Commanding Officer of the battleship USS TEXAS so "Ned" followed in his footsteps and attended the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Those who met him must have thought that he was a total no-nonsense guy, but he was really quite funny at times. As a young man, he loved toasted bread with peanut butter - and he felt that it would be more efficient if he would put the peanut butter on the toast before putting it into the oven, so one day he did it exactly that way. He was pleased with the result, then took a big bite of 400º peanut butter - which stuck to the roof of his mouth, with the unexpected result that he burned his mouth badly.
(left photo) BEACH as an active duty Commander in the U.S. Navy.
(right photo) BEACH as Naval Attaché to President Eisenhower.
He was an underclassman at the Naval Academy and was listening to the radio during that famous H. G. Wells production "War of the Worlds" broadcast in which Martians were invading a fictitious American city not far from Annapolis. Like so many Americans, he thought this was a real news broadcast of an actual event, so he went to the Duty Officer and volunteered to lead a squad of cadets against the Martians! He was told to shut off his radio and get back to his studies.
Those who knew him, knew "Ned" BEACH to be a man of absolutely unwavering loyalties and standards. He was a submarine officer during World War II and while serving as Executive Officer (XO) aboard USS TIRANTE (SS 420), he earned the Navy Cross for his part in the attack on a Japanese tanker full of AvGas in Quelpart Harbor. He got his command, but as he was headed for his patrol area, the Japanese surrendered and the war was over before he could get into combat as a submarine commander.
He made history after the war when he took the nuclear powered submarine USS TRITON (SSN 586) completely around the world - totally submerged, never seeing the surface for the entire voyage.
He was an accomplished author, writing many books but he will best be remembered for the book that was made into a movie, "Run Silent, Run Deep!" starring Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, Jack Warden, Don Rickles and others.
Captain BEACH served ten years on our Board of Advisors and was extremely helpful to our Sharkhunters. He hand-signed 1,000 fine-art prints as well as 100 photos of himself for us to make available to our Members even though he was stricken with cancer. Finally, he tired of the medication and constant pain, and told his wife Ingrid that he was finished. He stopped taking the medication and within a few weeks, he peacefully began his "Eternal Patrol".
"Ned" BEACH was quite a guy, and a total American patriot.