By Maj. William Carraway
Historian, Georgia Army National Guard
Colonel Wyont
Bean, retired from the Georgia Army. National Guard Nov. 1, 1962 after a
38-year military career. Upon retirement, Bean was elevated in rank to
brigadier general.
Wyont Battle
Bean was born Nov. 11, 1905 in Orangeburg, S.C. to Perry and Hattie Bean. Bean’s
father worked as a railroad roadmaster to support Bean and his six siblings of
whom Bean was the third.
Insignia of the 122nd Infantry Regiment.
After
graduating from Tech High School in Atlanta, Bean began his career in the Ga.
Army National Guard Feb. 22, 1924 upon enlisting in Company C, 200th
Infantry Regiment at the age of 18. His captain was Thomas Lamar Alexander who
would command the regiment after it was redesignated the 122nd
Infantry. Bean rose through the enlisted ranks to serve as company first
sergeant before accepting an appointment as a 2nd Lieutenant in the
same company, then designated Company C, 122nd Infantry Regiment.
On May 24,
1929, Bean married Agnes Estes. At the time, Bean was employed as an engineer
by the city of Atlanta. In 1933, the couple welcomed their first child, a
daughter named Patricia.
Bean
qualified as an expert rifleman in the 1933 rifle matches at Camp Perry, Ohio.
On Sept. 21, 1936 Bean transferred to Company G, 122nd Infantry
Regiment and accepted promotion to 1st lieutenant. That year he
again scored as an expert rifleman at Camp Perry.
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The Georgia National Guard marksmanship team at Camp Perry, Ohio 1937. Georgia National Guard Archives. |
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Howitzers of the 179th Field Artillery in 1939. Photo by Pfc. Matthew Starnes. |
Upon leaving federal
service, Lt. Col. Bean served in the Officers’ Reserve Corps until May 2, 1947
when he assumed command of the newly reactivated 945th Field Artillery
Battalion of the Ga. ARNG’s 48th Infantry Division Artillery. The
following year, the unit was redesignated the 179th FA BN and
received the Croix de Guerre with Palme from the French government during a
ceremony at the state capitol.
Bean
commanded the 179th for ten years. In 1953, Bean’s son, Wyont Bean
Jr., enlisted in the Ga. ARNG and Lt. Col. Bean administered his oath of
office. Four years later, Bean swore his son into the Ga. ARNG as a second
lieutenant. Lieutenant Bean transferred to the Iowa National Guard in 1959 to
attend Palmer College of Chiropractic but rejoined the Ga. ARNG after his 1963
graduation.
Upon the
retirement of Maj. Gen. Patrick Seawright, commander of the 48th
Armor Division in 1957, Bean was promoted to colonel and assigned as the
executive officer of the 48th AD Artillery. He served as president
of the National Guard Association of Georgia in 1960.
Following
his retirement, Bean continued to serve as a planning engineer with the City of
Atlanta until retiring from civilian employment in 1966. That year, his son,
Captain Bean commanded Battery D, 179th Field Artillery Battalion.
Brigadier
General Bean died July 26, 1970. He is buried in Crest Lawn Cemetery in
Atlanta.
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