Acel James Beasley Jr.

During World War II, my uncle, A. J. Beasley Jr. (US Army) was stationed at Wheeler Field, Oahu. My father Stanley W. Julian was a Navy pilot also stationed on Oahu. On Sunday, 24 Sept 1944, My Dad took his brother-in-law A. J., on a radar counter mission flight with him. Dropped metal aluminum confetti to foul Japanese radio.--Ronald W. Julian 2018.

During 1944, when brothers-in-law A. J. Beasley, Jr. and Stanley W. Julian were stationed on Oahu, the two enjoyed a day at the beach rafting. After some time, one of the paddles fell out of the raft and was quickly pulled away from the raft by the current. Stanley jumped in and swam after the paddle. The current quickly pulled the raft and Stanley apart and as A. J. paddled as hard as he could, they only drifted farther apart and A.J. started to panic seeing his sister's husband being pulled out to sea. A. J. yelled to the Lord, "Damn it I can't save Stanley you will have to do it"! No sooner than he yelled, he said a big wave picked the raft up and pushed it down the wave right to Stanley! This was the second time I know my Dad was saved during the war! As Stanley was finishing flight training at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, he wanted to take a certain training class which he scheduled. He was called in and told he needed to take his final physical at the time the training was scheduled. He was told if he missed the physical he would not be shipping out as scheduled. He decided to forgo the training and as he waited at the dispensary for his physical, the alarm sounded on base, plane down! The plane crashed into the St. John's river and all aboard were lost! Ronald Julian 2018.

I don't remember the year, but it was before my grandparents Beasley moved from Rosselle St. to make way for interstate 10 go through Jacksonville in 1952. I must have been about six years old. My Uncle A.J. wanted to go quail hunting and I guess my granddad and A.J.'s brother Cecil could not get off work to go. It was freezing cold and grandpa Beasley had the little jeep with a canvas covering on it. Uncle A.J. loaded up a few dogs and grandma Beasley bundled me up in quilts. I think we headed out towards Lake City. We got to the hunting area and Uncle A.J. let the dogs out, I stayed bundled up in the jeep! After a little while, the dogs found a covey of quail. Uncle A.J. got out and when the quail flew up he said he was so cold he could hardly aim his shotgun to shoot. He loaded up the dogs and we went back home! Ronald Julian 2018.

Since Uncle A.J. only had girls and I was the only older male nephew I got to go fishing with him. We use to go to Doctors inlet on the St. Johns River, south of Jacksonville. We would rent a row boat and Uncle A.J. would row us to the area he wanted to fish in and then I would try and row us around where he wanted to go. I remember one time he only caught one large mouth bass. As we go back to the dock, he told me to get the fish from the well that was built into the boat. I didn't know how to pick up a fish and he told me just to grab it. I grabbed it around its body and as soon as I got over the water to give it to him the fish flopped itself loose from my grasp and jumped back into the water! I felt terrible but didn't know you were suppose to grab it by its gills and mouth. Uncle A.J. just looked me and didn't say anything, which made me feel worst! At Christmas a few years later Uncle A.J. got an outboard motor for Christmas with all the accessories so we didn't have to row to get to the area to fish.

When I was about 9 or 10 Uncle A J took me fishing off the jetties at the mouth of the St Johns River and the ocean at Jacksonville, Florida. We climbed out on the big rocks on the river side, to were I guess he knew we would catch fish. I only remember catching one type of fish, one Uncle A J called a "dog fish"! It was grotesque looking and the only time I have ever seen or heard of one! We caught other fish I remember, but I cannot now recall what type. I was lucky to share many good memories with Uncle A J!--Ronald Julian, 13 Nov 2918.

Uncle A J loved to fish. He told me one time he was surf fishing and hooked a shark abut 6 feet long! He let the shark fight for a while and then tried to reel him in. After a while, the shark would prevail and it would pull Uncle A J into the surf for a while, until He could drag him self back to the shore and and it was his time to prevail! I don't recall how long it took Uncle A J to land the shark, but I wish I had been there, I love to eat shark! The last shark I had was a three foot hammer head at Fernandina Beach, it was delicious!--Ronald Julian, 20 Nov 2018.