Joe Bean was born in Waltonville, IL, May 29, 1927. He was drafted at age 18 yrs on August 2, 1945. Bean was initially placed in the infantry, when he arrived in Germany he began training in radio, which included learning morse code. Bean served mostly in Frankfort, Germany, sending transitions out to allies. He came home with transmission tubes, the actual tubes that sent the German surrender message on May 6, 1945. Bean donated the tubes to the Eisenhower Presidential Museum.