World War II Honoree

Franklin Clark Beckett

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Huntington, West Virginia

Honored By

Frank Beckett and Dianne LaFleur

Relationship

Children

HE SERVED ON THE USS ARIZONA, THE SUBMARINE PERCH; THE USS HATFIELD AND THE USS CANOPUS. AFTER THE CANOPUS WAS SUNK HE WAS SENT TO DEFEND CORREGIDOR. WHEN CORREGIDOR FELL HE WAS CAPTURED AND IMPRISONED AT BILIBID PRISON AND CABANATUAN PRISON, BOTH IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. LATER HE WAS TAKEN BY SHIP TO NIIGATA PRISONER OF WAR CAMP #5B AND DID FORCED LABOR AT THE RINKO COAL MINE. HE WAS AT THE NIIGATA CAMP UNTIL HIS LIBERATION IN 1945.