The Colonel: A Conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Augustus Beckcom III

In this episode, Brian Beckcom speaks with his Dad, Lieutenant
Colonel Edwin Augustus Beckcom III, about overcoming adversity
and the characteristics of great leadership. 


Lieutenant Colonel Ed Beckcom served during the Vietnam war,
flying over 200+ combat missions navigating B-52 Bombers. He flew
the last B-52 mission of the war from Guam, which sparked the
negotiations that would ultimately bring the war to an end. 


Lieutenant Colonel Ed Beckcom’s military experiences taught him
mental toughness and discipline, but it was his life experiences
that taught him how to deal with adversity. 


When his boys were 5 and 3, Col. Beckcom found out that his wife
had terminal breast cancer. Col. Beckcom was on the military fast
track, but he put his military career on the back burner to focus
on raising his sons after their mother, and his wife, ultimately
lost her five-year struggle with cancer. 


Despite the hardships, Lieutenant Colonel Ed Beckcom continued to
be optimistic. He counted his blessings, worked hard, and learned
to lead through adversity.   


In this episode, Brian and Lieutenant Colonel Ed Beckcom discuss:


His lifelong habit of exercise and the characteristics that
distinguish people who exercise from real athletes

What it was like growing up as a military brat, being
uprooted from his life in the states to live in the Middle East
at the age of 14

The reasons why he decided to follow in his father’s and
grandfather’s footsteps, joining the A&M Corps of Cadets and
devoting his life to military service

What it was like flying B-52 bombers for 1,300+ hours into
the heart of combat zones

The challenges he faced after losing his wife to breast
cancer and raising two boys as a single father while
simultaneously upholding his duties to the Armed Forces

The value of staying positive, working hard, and keeping life
simple

The characteristics that make someone a good person and a
good leader

Mentorship and the lasting imprints great leaders leave on
others

And other things




Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Augustus Beckcom was
born on May 15th of 1943. He spent most of his youth as a
military brat, traveling in and out of the states until he made
his way back to Texas (on his own at the young age of 17). He
graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in History
and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air
Force.  From there, he would go on to navigate B-52 bombers
during the Vietnam War. He flew 200+ combat missions in Southeast
Asia for a total of 1,300 hours of combat flight. He was awarded
the Distinguished Flying Cross and 11 Air Medals. After his
distinguished military career, Col. Beckcom taught Air Force
Junior R.O.T.C. at Western Hills High School in Fort Worth,
Texas, before retiring in 2002. Today, Colonel Ed Beckcom is
retired and lives in Fort Worth, Texas with his loving wife,
Janice, a retired law enforcement officer.