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AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION

Milton Maynard BECK

Corporal

346133

United States Marine Corps
Entered the Service from: Minnesota
Died: 20 NOV 1943
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial
Honolulu, Hawaii
Awards: Purple Heart



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UPDATE
10 AUGUST 2020
IT NOW APPEARS THAT CORPORAL BECK WAS
PROBABLY KILLED IN THE LVT(2) AND NOT THE LVT(1)

2ND AMTRAC MUSTER ROLLS FOR OCTOBER AND
NOVEMBER 1943 BOTH SHOW CORPORAL BECK AS
BEING SENT TO SAMOA AND THEN TO TARAWA ON
LST 243
SO EITHER MR. PATCH IS WRONG OR BOTH MUSTER ROLLS ARE WRONG
MOST LIKELY THE SHOE MENTIONED BELOW WAS FOUND NEAR THE LVT(2)
(CLICK HERE FOR FULL DETAILS)

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EVIDENCE THAT CORPORAL BECK WAS KILLED IN THE LVT(1) OFF GREEN BEACH
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THE INTERVIEW WITH PVT. HAROLD B. PATCH

In December 2003, I interviewed Pvt. Harold B. Patch, a 2nd Amtrac Bn veteran. He told me that, while still on Betio Island after the battle, he was approached by an acquaintance who said that Corporal BECK had been killed when his LVT(1) struck a Japanese landmine off Green Beach. The man had sought Patch out to tell him the news, because he knew Patch had been on Beck's crew in New Zealand. Pvt. Patch was told that a shoe, marked with Corp. Beck's name, had been found near the LVT(1), and that there was a foot still in it. Patch also explained that shoes were difficult to obtain in New Zealand, and that marking them with one's name was a common practice.

Pvt. Patch told me that Corporal BECK had been his LVT(1) Crew Chief, in B Company, 2nd Amtrac Bn, in New Zealand before Tarawa. However, Pvt. Patch had been pulled off the LVT(1) crew and sent to Samoa to join the A-1 Company and train on the new LVT(2) models. According to Pvt. Patch, Corporal BECK remained in New Zealand with B Company, and his LVT(1) crew.

Note: In the 2nd Amtrac Bn Muster Roll for November 1943, Corporal Beck is reported to have also been sent to Samoa to join the newly formed A-1 Company. However, Pvt. Patch is certain that Corp. Beck remained with B Company in New Zealand.

Pvt. Patch also said that there was a man named "Lane" on Corporal Beck's LVT(1) crew in New Zealand. He couldn't remember if "Lane" was his first or last name. (Could this man be the Corporal Lambert Lane, who is listed in the NOV 1943 Muster Roll as being aboard the USS Feland, but was reported in Col. Alexandr's book as having been killed on 22 NOV 1943, along with Captain Thomas Royster (?)


I am very interested in making contact with any member of Corporal Beck's family,
or anyone who has information about the circumstances of his death.
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Corporal Milton Maynard Beck was born on October 03, 1917 in Bashaw Township, MN.
He was 24 years old when he was killed at Tarawa on or about November 20, 1943.

INFORMATION FROM
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
WWII CASUALTIES BY STATE

MINNESOTA

BECK, Milton M., Cpl., USMC

(NEXT OF KIN)
Mother, Mrs. Emma Stewart, Springfield, MN

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US CENSUS INFORMATION CONCERNING CORPORAL BECK'S FAMILY

NOTE THE USE OF HIS STEPFATHER'S LAST NAME IN THE 1930 CENSUS

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1930 US CENSUS INFORMATION
TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD, BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

STEWART, Charles H. -- born about 1882, age 48
STEWART, Emma -- born about 1884, age 46
STEWART, Milton -- born about 1918, age 12

***
1920 US CENSUS INFORMATION
TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD, BROWN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

BECK, Arned -- born about 1880, age 40
BECK, Emma-- born about 1884, age 36
BECK, Roy E. -- born about 1906, age 14
BECK, Florence -- born about 1911, age 09
BECK, Walter A. -- born about 1913, age 07
BECK, Milton M. -- born about 1917, age 03

PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION

Jim Hildebrand
j i m @ t a r a w a 1 9 4 3 . c o m


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