Beasley completes training.
Marine Corps Pvt. C. Beasley, son of Ande C. and Jess T. Beasley of Corsicana, recently completed basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. He successfully completed 12 weeks of training designed to challenge new Marine recruits both physically and mentally. Beasley is a 2000 graduate of Corsicana High School.

8/6/2003 Big Brother is Home: Beasley, Marine, returns after stint on sea near Iraq

By MICAH CHAPLIN/Daily Sun Staff

At 21, Chris Beasley has only recently entered what most would consider adulthood. At the same time, Beasley has seen a side of the world most adults rarely think about.

Until the past two years, he spent all of his life in Corsicana, in the same house. But after a year at Navarro College, Beasley decided to join the Marines. Although his family has military roots, Beasley says he had no particular reason for becoming a Marine.

"I just thought it might help out with college," he said.

In the end, the Marines also took him across the country and, eventually, around the world.

In early January, Beasley was deployed to Iraq to assist in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He said the announcement came as no big surprise.

"They had been telling us for quite awhile that we'd be going, but you never know what's the truth," he said. "But we always knew we might go."

Beasley said his time in Iraq was "nothing special."

"I was just doing my job," he said. "I mostly worked on carriers, maintaining the cockpit controls. We really didn't see anything there. We just sat in the water."

According to Beasley, there were about 200 to 300 guys, most of which were between the ages of 18 and 23. The beds were stacked three or four high and there were just six showers for them all to use. He said downtime was boring and was often spent playing cards and sleeping.

"I met some nice people, there just wasn't much to do," he said.

Beasley arrived back in the U.S. on July 24, where he spent a week working at his station in Yuma, Ariz. He returned for a week in Corsicana Monday, and was welcomed home by his parents, Buddy and Ande, sister Shannon, 11, and several members of his church.

"Everyone in church was anxious for him to come back," Ande said. "They've known him since he was a baby, so they feel he's part theirs."

Ande said relatives have been calling ever since he arrived home, anxious to talk to him. More will inevitably make the trek to Corsicana to see him before he goes back to Arizona, including older sister Andra, who lives in Huntsville.

Today, Chris and Shannon plan to spend the day, just the two of them, at Six Flags. Shannon says she has a pretty good relationship with her brother.

"It's boring when he's gone. I had no one to talk to," Shannon said. "I missed him."

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