World War II Honoree

George William Beck

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

New Holland, Illinois

Honored By

Richard Beck

Relationship

Brother

HE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS IN FEBRUARY 1941 BEFORE PEARL HARBOR AND WAS A GUNNERY INSTRUCTOR. AFTER THE WAR STARTED HE INSTRUCTED GUNNERY AT TYNDALL FIELD IN FLORIDA AND BARKSDALE FIELD IN MISSISSIPPI. IN AUGUST 1943 HE GAVE UP HIS RANK AS TECHNICAL SERGEANT TO JOIN AN ACTIVE AIR CREW. HE THEN SERVED AS AN AERIAL ENGINEER /WAIST GUNNER IN A B24 CREW, AS PART OF THE 399TH BOMB GROUP. BY THE END OF MARCH, 1944 HE GAINED THE RANK OF SERGEANT AND ON APRIL 9, 1944 HE WAS KILLED ALONG WITH THE OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS CREW IN A TRAINING ACCIDENT, CRASHING INTO THE MOHAVE DESERT NEAR MOHAVE, CALIFORNIA.