- December 16, 2025
Gene Beinert, 86, was awarded the Freedom Metal, the American Defense Metal, and the Pacific Campaign Metal with three battle stars in 1944. For unknown reasons, Beinert never received these decorations. Three months ago, his medals arrived about 67 years after the war.
Beinert was excited to join the Navy at 17 years old, in 1943 upon completion of high school. He had to volunteer for induction, and he was sent to the Radio School at the Navy Boot Camp, in Sampson, N.Y. After training in Pensacola, with a spirit of patriotism, he volunteered for overseas duty.
Beinert had a job on the MAKIN Island CVE93 in the last part of the Okinawa Campaign. The MAKIN Island was a converted liberty ship and was called a "jeep carrier."
One day after the war was declared over, a Japanese torpedo bomber dropped a torpedo which hit a cruiser close and parallel to the MAKIN, killing five sailors. Beinert felt the concussion on his ship while a destroyer laid a smoke screen around his group of ships. The ship was ordered to Shanghai and later to Wakayama, Japan to pick up United States' prisoners of war and take them to Seattle, Wash. The whole ship crew were extremely excited to take the American prisoners of war back to safety.
Beinert received an honorable discharge in the summer of 1946. He was very proud, that like his father, who was a World War I Navy veteran, that he had served his country.
After the Navy, Beinert went into the art business with the Herbert Rose Company, in Long Island, N.Y., and he became the art director. He has had national recognition as being one of the most sought after illustrators in the United States. Some of his illustrations were done for cookbooks, American Airlines, the Old West, Barnum & Bailey Circus, fashion, Sealtest, Breyor's ice cream, and the 1967 World Fair in New York.
Beinert is a member of the Flagler County Art League, and his recent painting "Camp May Lady House" won second place in the Flagler County Art Show. He also won third place for one of his paintings.
