Major Beary enlisted as a private in Company B., Fourth Regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania: was promoted to Sergeant Major on June 8, 1896, and to Adjutant on May 4, 1898; re-commissioned April 7, 1899, retained this rank until May 7, 1908, when he was elected major of the Third Battalion. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, he was commissioned Battalion Adjutant and Second Lieutenant by Governor Hastings. On May 21, 1898, he was appointed regimental commissary, and had charge of the provisioning of the regiment during the entire war. He was honorably mustered out of service, Nov 15, 1898. He was the only member of the regiment that gained his commission during the Spanish War. He was appointed by Governor Pennypacker to organize a troop of state police to be assigned to the Wyoming Valley and organized Troop B, at Wilkes-Barre, and established their barracks at Wyoming in 1905. Upon completion of this serve he returned to civil life at Allentown. On Dec 26, 1911, Major Beary was appointed by Governor Tener, deputy adjutant-general; a signal honor, and an office sought by many officers of the National Guard. In politics Major Beary is a Republican. He has been a member of Christ Reformed church, since 1893, and since 1894 superintendent of the Sunday School. He was chairman of the building committee which erected the present church edifice in 1896, and furnished gratuitously the original plans for the church. He has been chairman of the church corporation continuously since 1905. In the fall of 1905, he organized the boys' brigade of Christ Reformed Church, consisting of 70 boys and is their thief instructor and drill master. He was elected in 1910, chairman of the Board of School Controllers of the City of Allentown.

He is a member of Greenleaf Lodge No 561, F. & A. M. and of St. James Commandery, No 63, Knights of Malta, having been one of the organizers and its first commander. He was a member of the Grand Lodge in 1891, and 1892. He has a large collection of war relics from Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philippine Islands, and an extensive private library, containing a large collection of historical works.