This website was created as an 8th grade Social Studies project. Students created fictional personas based on research.
Before Mason Beckham joined the war effort, he lived in Memphis, Tennessee building cars with his
dad on their family farm. Mason's had a specialty of building the 1937 Ford Fordor Model 74. His dad,
little brother, Johnny and him worked together on the cars. Before cars started to become
a necessity, Mr. Beckham worked out on the farm. Once cars became big, Mason
seemed to lean to fixing them, and started to make a business with his dad out of it inside
one of their empty barns. They would work as much as they; Mason's mom took over with most of
the farm. Mason still needed to little things; milk the cows and collect the eggs from the chicken, feed
the animals. Johnny, his younger brother helped out where ever help was needed, he watered and
picked the plants. Johnny had a special knack for fixing things in the house, whenever there was a
dripping sink or something came off it's hinges, Johnny knew how to fix it. Johnny was 15 when
Mason left Tennessee to go to California to work on airplanes. Mason was 21 years old when he first went
to California, he had a friend who was in the pilot of a B-17 in the "Squawkin' Chicken". Dewayne Bennett
was the pilot; by the time Mason had joined the effort it was already 2 years in the war (1943). Dewayne had just left for his mission to Berlin, when Mason got a letter saying that in California they needed more people
to help with the B-17. He said that they were running low on men and women to build the planes.
Mason got a normal education, he went to the local schools until he was 16, but his dad needed more
help around the farm. For schooling he went to Peabody Elementary, Colonia l Middle, and 2 years of
Melrose High School. He did average in school, making good grades and having a group of friends. Once
he went to work at the farm, so did Johnny (little brother). At home his mom taught Johnny, since he was
only 10 when they were pulled out of school. Mason tried to help Johnny with the school and work, when he wasn't working out in the farm. 2 years later, (Mason-18 and Johnny-12) the whole family started to work on cars in barn. The 1937 Ford Fordor Model 74 were equipped with the 60 horsepower V-8 engine. In the 1940s
the car went for $6,500 or best price; these days it goes for close to five-figure prices. The family didn't just build Model 74, they build lots of Ford vehicles. One of the best selling cars was the Ford Truck 1937. The Ford Truck 1937 had the front grille was V-shaped, and a larger water pump was used to help aid in cooling.
When going to California from Tennessee he took the train. It was about 1,829 miles, and it took almost 30 hours. He lived in a cheap apartment around his work. He walked everywhere, not being able to buy
his own car. In 1945 Mason found a roommate. Thomas Briggs, one of Mason's coworkers, became his roommate. Mason ended up working at the same Boeing Company for 45 years after the second world war.
He was 68 years when he retired from building airplanes.
dad on their family farm. Mason's had a specialty of building the 1937 Ford Fordor Model 74. His dad,
little brother, Johnny and him worked together on the cars. Before cars started to become
a necessity, Mr. Beckham worked out on the farm. Once cars became big, Mason
seemed to lean to fixing them, and started to make a business with his dad out of it inside
one of their empty barns. They would work as much as they; Mason's mom took over with most of
the farm. Mason still needed to little things; milk the cows and collect the eggs from the chicken, feed
the animals. Johnny, his younger brother helped out where ever help was needed, he watered and
picked the plants. Johnny had a special knack for fixing things in the house, whenever there was a
dripping sink or something came off it's hinges, Johnny knew how to fix it. Johnny was 15 when
Mason left Tennessee to go to California to work on airplanes. Mason was 21 years old when he first went
to California, he had a friend who was in the pilot of a B-17 in the "Squawkin' Chicken". Dewayne Bennett
was the pilot; by the time Mason had joined the effort it was already 2 years in the war (1943). Dewayne had just left for his mission to Berlin, when Mason got a letter saying that in California they needed more people
to help with the B-17. He said that they were running low on men and women to build the planes.
Mason got a normal education, he went to the local schools until he was 16, but his dad needed more
help around the farm. For schooling he went to Peabody Elementary, Colonia l Middle, and 2 years of
Melrose High School. He did average in school, making good grades and having a group of friends. Once
he went to work at the farm, so did Johnny (little brother). At home his mom taught Johnny, since he was
only 10 when they were pulled out of school. Mason tried to help Johnny with the school and work, when he wasn't working out in the farm. 2 years later, (Mason-18 and Johnny-12) the whole family started to work on cars in barn. The 1937 Ford Fordor Model 74 were equipped with the 60 horsepower V-8 engine. In the 1940s
the car went for $6,500 or best price; these days it goes for close to five-figure prices. The family didn't just build Model 74, they build lots of Ford vehicles. One of the best selling cars was the Ford Truck 1937. The Ford Truck 1937 had the front grille was V-shaped, and a larger water pump was used to help aid in cooling.
When going to California from Tennessee he took the train. It was about 1,829 miles, and it took almost 30 hours. He lived in a cheap apartment around his work. He walked everywhere, not being able to buy
his own car. In 1945 Mason found a roommate. Thomas Briggs, one of Mason's coworkers, became his roommate. Mason ended up working at the same Boeing Company for 45 years after the second world war.
He was 68 years when he retired from building airplanes.