Serviceman carries rural East Texas values

By KRISTY HEMMINGSEN | East Texas Edition

May 1, 2003 - Still an East Texan by heart, Troy Beasley turned 19 last month while aboard a military vessel near an overseas war zone.

And although still in his teens, Beasley is certainly beyond the maturity level of a teenager - partly due to the various things he has experienced and places he has seen in the past few years, according to people closest to him.

Beasley lived in the Henderson County area for most of his childhood-to-high school years, and he has been described as "just a good ol' boy, but even more so."

Today, Beasley is far from the rural East Texas area where he grew up. He is aboard the USS Harry S. Truman near Iraq, serving his country as a Navy serviceman.

While in school, he was involved in various sports, drama, and a range of agricultural activities at Crossroads High School, where he graduated in 2002.

But now, the 19-year-old holds a very important and dangerous job of sending and retrieving aircraft on-and-off the flight deck of what is one of the youngest commissioned nuclear-powered aircraft carriers of the Navy.

In the words of his mother, Charlotte, she explained that holding such a position was not just an assigned duty for her son, but somewhat of a desire as well.

"Troy was first designated to work in supplies," she said. "But he yearned for something more and when he was moved to the flight deck crew, he was so delighted; it was a mark of his true character. He now feels like he is doing that much more in contributing to his country."

Beasley, who works 18 to 20 hours in a stretch, comes from a family of Navy servicemen, including a few cousins and his brother-n-law, Travis Tappan, who is married to Troy's sister, Toi.

(Travis, Toi, and their two young daughters, Khloe and Kylie, live in Georgia at the Kingsbay Naval Base. And presently, Travis is serving on the nuclear submarine, The Wyoming.)

Maybe Beasley gained his work ethics from his ag background. He was not technically rasied on a farm, but he gained the "best things" that agriculture brings out in people, such as loyalty, trustworthiness, helpfulness, strong values, character, and a strong sense of community service.

His mom came from a small farming family, but that was not the case for her son. But Beasley's best friend, Tate Willfong, did live on a ranch which provided opportunity for Beasley to be involved in chores such as working calves, hauling hay, and fixing fence.

"And he accomplished all of this with a cheerful attitude," explained Judi Willfong, Tate's mother. "Troy is one of the finest young men I've had the privilege to know. He was always willing and eager to be involved in our family's activities, whether they revolved around our business or not. He learned quickly and was always dependable."

The two friends also trapped wild hogs to prevent them from destroying good pastureland, and sometimes sell the hogs to game preserves to make a little extra cash. They also hunted deer, rabbits, and raccoons and did a little fishing.

Beasley and Willfong were also very involved in the 4-H Ambassador project in Henderson County, which promotes 4-H and all of it's activities.

Beasley gained leadership qualities through other organizations, such as Toastmasters and PAL (a leadership program that pairs a high school student with an elementary or junior high youth).

Even before high school graduation, actually the last day of his junior year, Beasley signed up with the Navy. He was officially enlisted his senior year in a "pre-program" that did not involve income.

On Dec. 5, 2002, Beasley deployed from the base in Norfolk, Va., for the Iraqi area as part of a six-month assignment.

His mom, Charlotte, explained part of the responsible young man Beasley has become is partly linked to his father's death when her son was only 14-years-old.

"At that time, he grew up fast and felt he needed to now be the man of the family, and take care of me and sister," explained Charlotte. "I don't know what I would have done without him. I couldn't ask for a better son.

"He e-mails me practically every day, and the message may only say, 'Mom, I'm okay, but gotta go,' but it's so nice to hear from him. When he first told me that he was leaving for the Middle East, it scared me at first. But I knew it was what he really wanted and when he left I couldn't be any more proud."

Also via e-mail, Beasley contacted Country World and shared a few thoughts. He wrote: "Life is never what you want it to be. When things are finally going your way, you're scared of when it will end, and when things get a little rough, you always think that it's going to get worse.

"But you have to live each day at a time. You can't rush; once you rush life you'll look back and see what you missed. Live one day at a time and enjoy what life itself has to offer."

The young man also detailed: "As I was growing up, (and it has gotten even greater when I enlisted in the Navy) I realized most things will never go your way. But no matter the circumstance nor how good or bad things can get there are always the ones you love standing behind you to back up your every move.

"And I am lucky to have some of the greatest people behind me. I couldn't ask for better friends or family, and I would just like to thank everyone who has been there to catch me when I fell."

With the war portion of "Operation: Iraqi Freedom" over, and if all goes as planned, Beasley should be home sometime in June.