101-Year-Old WWII Veteran Gets Unexpected Community Support After Breaking 10 Ribs

A U.S. Army veteran who fought in both World War II and the Korean War, including in the Battle of the Bulge, is receiving an outpouring of support after recently sustaining a dangerous fall.

Ed Beck, 101, tripped and fell a couple of weeks ago while going into a restaurant, his friend, Kim Brandon, told Military.com. Beck cracked seven ribs on his right side, three on his left, and also cracked an elbow and his hip.

He spent four days in the hospital. After coming home, he fell again, cracked another rib and suffered a mild heart attack.

“Our goal is to lift Ed’s spirits with thousands of cards from throughout the world,” Brandon told Military.com.

Efforts have already been underway to do just that.

Mark Schaefer, Beck’s longtime friend and a teacher at the local Merit Academy in Woodland Park, told KOAA NEWS5 in Beck’s hometown of Colorado Springs, Colo., that he mentioned Beck’s fall to a colleague and both wanted to do something positive for the veteran.

The idea of students across grade levels writing “get well” cards came to fruition. It led to students from kindergarten through 12th grade writing cards, while students from grades 6 through 12 hand-delivered the cards to Beck’s home in Southeast Colorado Springs.

“When the kids got off the bus and came up and shook his hand and greeted him, he just beamed,” Schaefer said. “And when he got the cards, he just lit up,” Schaefer said.

More than 180 cards arrived that day. By Sept. 3, more than 250 cards were written.

“There aren’t enough words that I can say. Thanks for all the cards,” Beck told KOAA.

‘A Real Hero’

Beck served for the 106th Infantry Division during World War II. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-45, a pivotal turning point for the Allies in north Central Europe.

Schaefer, who teaches history to seventh and eighth graders, told Military.com that Beck was born during the Great Depression. When he came of age, he fought “the most must-win war” in history and then put his life on the line again in Korea.

“He persevered through all this, and we need to recognize his service and dedication to our country,” Schaefer said.

He called Beck “an incredibly active man” whose injuries have slowed him down and led to depression. The cards he’s received have helped change his demeanor, from lonely to content.

“Merit Academy Students were able to meet a real hero when they dropped off the cards at Ed’s house,” Schaefer added. “These students have made a huge difference in Ed’s life.”

Chad Cosner, dean of the Logic and Rhetoric School at Merit Academy, told Military.com that the school “believes goodness isn’t just a virtue we put on the wall. It’s something we want our students to practice and model.”

“Our visit with Ed Beck gave us the opportunity for learning to occur outside the classroom, and to create meaningful connections between coursework within the classroom (history) and with Ed,” Cosner said. “We got to honor an American veteran, and learn that something as simple as a handwritten card, a handshake, a salute, and a sincere ‘thank you,’ can have a meaningful impact.”

It is also about getting students to understand that education isn’t just about what you know, Cosner added, but about the kind of person one becomes and how that can be used to positively serve others.

Students ‘Honored’ to Meet Beck

Not only did Beck get a groundswell of community support, but students also became endeared to the veteran and his stories.

Nathaniel Vieux told Military.com that meeting Beck “was such an awesome opportunity.”

“He and his brothers, who fought and died in World War II and Korea, sacrificed so much for our country,” Vieux said. “There is really no way we could ever fully repay that debt.

“Mr. Beck is one of the last members of the Greatest Generation, and I think we should all take a moment to appreciate him and everything his generation did for our country.”

The sentiment was echoed by another student, Delainey Halcomb, who told Military.com she felt “glad to have gotten a chance to meet such an accomplished veteran.”

“It was fun to hear stories and the perspective of a man who honorably fought for our country,” Halcomb said. “To meet one of the last living WWII veterans is truly an honor. I appreciate everything Mr. Ed Beck did for America. Thank you so, so much!”

Anyone who wants to reach out to Beck is asked to send correspondence to Ed Beck, P.O. Box 7473, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80933.