Friends of Night Time Mayor of OC will recognize Beatty for military service Nov. 22 

By Cindy Hoffman, Staff Writer

(Nov. 16, 2023) A ceremony honoring the late DJ Mike “Batman” Beatty will be held at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial in Ocean Pines on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m.

During the ceremony, a paver will be dedicated to the iconic Ocean City DJ and Air Force veteran.

Beatty joined the Air Force in 1967 and served with the 6217 Combsat Support group in Taiwan during the Vietnam War. His final duty station in 1970 took him to Ching Chuan Kang Royal Chinese Air Force Base, Taichung, Taiwan, where he performed duties as an Admin in Special Actions, and as a disc jockey for American Forces Radio.

The network provides radio and TV programming to U.S. troops and members of the Department of Defense and their families while overseas.

While serving, Airman Beatty also participated as the hospital liaison for “Operation Amnesty,” a program that assisted individuals with drug problems to get the aid they needed and guarantee to them no less than a medical discharge.

Beatty’s love for radio began in Ocean City as a part-time DJ on WETT radio, an AM station, in 1966.  But Beatty was best known for his career as a club DJ in Ocean City, where he was known as “DJ Batman.”

Generations of locals and tourists danced the night away to tunes spun by Batman in Ocean City bars for more than 40 years.

“He is well known for all the work he did for local charities. If someone had a need, he was always there to help,” said Marie Gilmore, president of the Worcester County Veterans Memorial Board of Directors.

His proudest moment, his friends say, came when he was asked to deliver the keynote address at the Worcester County Veterans Memorial on Memorial Day 2015.

The Worcester County Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 2005 to honor and preserve the contributions of these individuals to the nation’s security and freedom of its people.

The tribute to Beatty is hosted by the Worcester County Veterans Memorial and Friends of Mike Beatty. To learn more about the memorial, visit Wocovets.org