‘My mind was a mess’: Korean War veteran recalls service, healing
Tim Beach, 95, says reunions with fellow veterans helped him talk about his experiences after the war.
BASTROP, La. (KNOE) - Tim Beach knows that serving in war can come at a lasting cost.
The 95-year-old Army veteran fought in the Korean War from 1950 to 1951 and served for three and a half years. He earned two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star.
Beach said he never wanted to rise in rank because he struggled with the idea of sending others into danger.
“I never did want no rank,” he said. “You send somebody out to do a job, you know most likely ain’t coming back. And I never did like that.”
After the war, Beach said he struggled with his mental health and found it difficult to talk about what he had experienced. Annual reunions with the people he served alongside helped him open up.
“My mind was a mess. I couldn’t talk about it or do nothing,” Beach said. “The bunch I was with over there started having a reunion. Every year we’d meet somewhere. When you’re talking to somebody that’s been there, then that makes a difference.”
Beach also said he believes people should seek ways to resolve conflicts before they turn to war.
“I think there ought to be a way worked out that you could talk before a war,” he said. “Instead of waiting till after you kill a bunch of people, it ought to be some way of working it out.”
On Veterans Day, Beach said he looks for ways to support fallen service members.
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