Beasley, Ronald, Korean War Photograph Collection, 1950

Held by The Filson Historical Society

Creator:  Ronald Beasley

Title:  Korean War Photograph Collection, 1950

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Curator of Special Collections.

Size of Collection:  64 photographs

Location Number:  013PC22

Scope and Content Note

Collection consists of 63 photographs taken by Sgt. Ronald L. Beasley of Company H, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Division in 1950 during the early months of the Korean War. Beasley was a heavy gunner. With the collection a list of the images and short descriptions was provided.

Biographical Note 

Ronald Louis Beasley was born to William J. Beasley and Johnnie E. Gamblin on July 1st, 1925, in Meridian, Mississippi. In 1943, Beasley signed up for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, where he was in the Infantry Battalion at Camp Elliott, San Diego, California. He would later be listed as a Combat Naval Casualty in the 1946 State Summary of War Casualties for Mississippi.

After World War II, Sgt. Beasley enlisted to serve in the Korean War as a member of Company H, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Division. Sgt. Beasley was a heavy gunner during the early months of the Korean War. He joined the company in late August, 1950, beginning in Pusan and travelling from there to Inchon, Seoul, and through the Chosin Reservoir. Sgt. Beasley would later receive the Purple Heart, and move to Louisville, Kentucky sometime before 1974. After retiring from the Marine Corps, he became a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service.

Beasley died on January 8th, 2005 at Jewish Hospital in Louisville. After his passing, his wife, Cathreen Vandevelde of Paducah, moved to Virginia to live closer to family. Cathreen died on September 15th, 2012.

Photograph List 

013PC22.01-.03: Pusan, South Korea – Aug./Sep. 1950
013PC22.04: Sun Rise – Pusan, South Korea – Aug./Sep. 1950
013PC22.05-.07: Pusan (Harbor), South Korea – Aug./Sep. 1950
013PC22.08: Japanese Ship Sunk during WWII, Pusan, Soth Korea – Aug./Sep. 1950
013PC22.09: British War Ship, Korean Waters – 1950
013PC22.10: Sunset at Sea, Korean Waters – 1950
013PC22.11-.12: Marines landed at 1730 on 9/15/50 – Picture taken from Wolmi-do Island, Inchon Harbor, South Korea
013PC22.13: Area East of Inchon, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.14: On road to Seoul, U.S. Army base in background, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.15-.18: Passing through U.S. Army base, On road to Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.19: South Korean Post, On road to Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.20: Village west of Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.21-.22: Han River, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.23-.24: North Korean supply train, West of Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.25: Taking a break on road to Seoul, South Korea – Sep 1950
013PC22.26: North Korean POWs – Sep. 1950
013PC22.27-.28: Women’s University, Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.29-.30: Moving through Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.31: North Korean in Seoul – Sep. 1950
013PC22.32-.36: Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.37-.39: Capital Building in Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.40: Building behind Capital Building, Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.41: Sgt. Ronald L. Beasley, Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.42: Catholic Mass, Sgt. Duncan on right with carbine, Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.43-.44: Sgt. Richard J. Duncan, Deceased Dec. 1993, Ret. July 1968, 1stSgt. (NJ/Texas), Seoul South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.45-.46: Lt. Post, Platoon leader, California, Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.47-.48: Sgt. Ronald L. Beasley (Miss./KY), Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.49: Area Below 38th Parallel but North of Seoul, South Korea, North Korean in foreground – Sep. 1950
013PC22.50: South Korean home between 38th Parallel and Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.51: American Cemetery, Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.52: Sgt. Richard J. Duncan, American Cemetery, Seoul, South Korea – Sep. 1950
013PC22.53: Grave of former member of H-3-5 (Sorry unable to remember name)
013PC22.54: North Korean village – Oct. 1950
013PC22.55-.56: Aboard flat cars restination remembered as Hungham or Hamhung, N.K., Wonson, North Korea – Oct. 1950
013PC22.57-.58: Believed to be schoolhouse on East Side of the Chosin Reservoir, later used by the 31st Inf. Regt. as its Operations Center – Nov. 1950
013PC22.59: The Old Homestead, East of the Chosin Reservoir – Oct./Nov. 1950
013PC22.60: Cpl. R. B. Williams (NY), East Side of the Chosin Reservoir – Oct./Nov. 1950
013PC22.61: Sgt. Ronald L. Beasely (Miss./KY), East Side of the Chosin Reservoir – Oct./Nov. 1950
013PC22.62-.63: Snow-covered mountains, East of Chosin Reservoir – Oct./Nov. 1950
013PC22.64: Flag raising over Wolmi Do Island, Inchon Korea landing, September 1950 by 3-5-1st Marine Division
013PC22.65-.66: List of images and descriptions