George Beaugh was born in June 1922 in Opelousas, Louisiana. He was one of six siblings. His parents were farmers. Beaugh remembered that during the Great Depression they always had lots of food due to the family farm, but never had money around. He graduated high school when he was 16 and went to the University of Lafayette in Lafayette, Louisiana on a scholarship. He wanted extra spending money, so he got a job at a department store in the shoe department. He met his future wife, Norma, through his manager.

After World War 2 broke out, George Beaugh joined the Army Air Forces because his brother had already joined that branch. After being tested, Beaugh was recommended for operational mechanics at Keesler Field in Biloxi, Mississippi. Then he was sent to San Diego, California for advanced training on B-24s [Annotator's Note: Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber]. He was then sent to Utah for small arms training and then to Laredo, Texas [Annotator's Note: Laredo Army Air Field] for gunnery school so he could fly. His crew was assembled in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was assigned as the top turret gunner. His crew was sent to Texas to train together on B-17s [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber]. Beaugh remembered close call accidents while training, but the crew was finally sent to Nebraska where they were given a new B-17 to fly overseas.

George Beaugh recalled that his crew took the Northern route to England. Since the weather was so bad, they had to stop frequently, first in Maine, next Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada, then Iceland, and finally two weeks later, they landed in England. His crew was assigned to 8th Air Force, 384th Bombardment Group [Annotator's Note: 546th Bombardment Squadron, 384th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force]. Beaugh remembered that the camp was spread out so it would be difficult for the enemy to hit. They slept in metal huts [Annotator's Note: Quonset huts]. Beaugh recalled making one trip to London during his deployment. They saw live music, and the local people treated the Americans well. Beaugh explains what a typical day was like when his crew had a mission. They would wake up at one in the morning and check the board to see if they were assigned. Then they would be driven to the mess hall to eat. Then they would be briefed about their mission, and immediately after, Beaugh received last sacraments from the priest. Beaugh wore silk long johns, a khaki uniform, and an electrically heated suit that would plug in the plane. Everyone had to be in good physical shape as well.

For most of George Beaugh's missions his crew would fly at 25,000 to 27,000 feet. On one mission they flew at 32,000 feet and Beaugh lost feeling in his feet because it was so cold. Out of the 31 missions Beaugh took part in, his plane never lost an engine, but his plane did take a lot of damage. During his third mission, his plane was hit before they made it to their target. They lost two crew members on that mission. His crew also did three missions over Berlin, Germany. All three times they were hit and lost their fuel tank. Also on one mission, the radio compartment got smoked up, and the radioman's oxygen hose detached from his suit. He passed out and Beaugh saved his life by re-attaching the hose, so he could get oxygen.

In August 1944, George Beaugh returned to the United States after flying 31 missions on a B-17 [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber] in Europe. They sent his crew to Edinburg, Scotland where they boarded the SS Argentina. During their voyage, they encountered a hurricane. Beaugh recalled the ship going up and down for three days straight as they sailed through the storm. [Annotator's Note: The interview video blacks out for a few seconds.] The first thing Beaugh did when he reached Ellis Island, New York was get his hair cut by a woman barber. They sent him to Camp Beauregard in Alexandria, Louisiana by train. He was then told to report to Miami in 21 days. He went home [Annotator's Note: Opelousas, Louisiana] and his friends and neighbors were offering him free gas so he could get around to visit people during his leave. When he reached Miami, Florida he was assigned as an instructor. During a four-week leave, he married his fiancé, Norma, on Christmas Eve.

After the Japanese surrendered, George Beaugh was given orders to report to Coffeeville, Indiana. He and his wife could not find a place to stay at first, but then found a hotel that offered them a bridal sweet. He received his discharge papers at Barksdale [Annotator's Note: then Barksdale Field, now Barksdale Air Force Base] in Bossier City, Louisiana. The Air Force wanted him to re-enlist, but he declined. He returned home with his wife, who was pregnant with their first child, and went back to selling shoes. Beaugh visited The National WWII Museum twice and enjoyed both visits.