Second Lieutenant Beers was the pilot of a F4U-5 Corsair fighter with Marine Fighter Squadron 212, Marine Air Group 33, 1st Marine Air Wing. On 7 April 1951, while on a combat mission, his aircraft received a direct hit by anti-aircraft fire, burst into flames and crashed north of the Imjin River.

Beers was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.