Born in 1946 in Fort Worth, Thomas Beaty grew up on Silver Creek Road while his dad was a dairyman and his mother was a stay-at-home mom. Beaty’s mother during World War II was also a ‘Rosie the Riveter’ as she worked on B-24s for the U.S. military.
“My dad was exempt from fighting in World War II because they needed a dairy man,” Beaty said. His uncle was a World War II veteran as well. After graduating high school in 1965, Beaty started a farming job around the Azle area for a few years. His life quickly changed when he was drafted June 14, 1967, to fight in the Vietnam War.
“I didn’t like it — I was not too happy,” Beaty said. “I thought this war would kill a bunch of young men and get nothing done. And that’s exactly what it did. But I didn’t have a choice.”
