You're right, ChowderMan!!
Bechamel IS a roux-based sauce, and it is this sauce, its consistency and temp that helps determine the final outcome of whatever it is going to be used with and for. In any case, like gravy, it must be cooked enough so that the flour used for the roux is also cooked to aviod that pastey taste in flour.
Last time that I remember making bechamel was for a Tuna Noodle Casserole.
And you're NOT old.
Also, I think I should point out that for this sauce, whole milk is needed to make it. 1% or skim milk is not advisable because it is the added fat that is in whole milk that's needed to help things blend together smoothly. Might also be able to get away with using 2% milk, but anything lower than that, I wouldn't suggest it to be used. I wonder if Rickismom knows that.