Met this guy at my work. A brief conversation with him took a sharp turn when asked "What did you do in the Air Force?"
AFAIK, Ed is still driving a wood pulp truck in northern WI as this was how his U-2 career ended. Wow.
56-6714 art.#381
Lost on 31 January 1980 near Oroville, CA. USAF Pilot: Edward I. Beaumont lost consciousness while on a training flight the aircraft. The aircraft glided earthward, followed by a chase aircraft, till it hit some high tension electrical lines causing the U-2 to slowly spiral to the ground. Where having regained consciousness by the sudden jolt of hitting the ground, the pilot exited the U-2.
The U-2 is now mounted on pylon at Beale AFB, CA.