World War II Honoree

Vester G. Beckham

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Craig County, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SAILED FROM THE HAMPTON ROADS PORT OF EMBARKATION ON JANUARY 4, 1945 ABOARD THE USS WEST POINT AND ARRIVED IN NAPLES, ITALY ON JANUARY 13, 1945. MOVED BY SHIP TO LIVORNO, ITALY ARRIVING ON JANUARY 14, 1945. ON JANUARY 20, 1945, WENT INTO THE LINE AT BAGNI DI LUCCA. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER IN ITALY WITH COMPANY B, 1ST BATTALION, 85TH MOUNTAIN INFANTRY REGIMENT, 10TH MOUNTAIN 'MOUNTAINEERS' DIVISION. PARTICIPATED IN THE NORTH APENNINES CAMPAIGN. HIS COMPANY WAS TASKED TO PATROL HIGHWAY 12 FROM BAGNI DI LUCCA TO LA LIMA ON JANUARY 22, 1945, AND ENGAGED IN TRAINING, PATROLLING AND RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS, AND LIMITED OBJECTIVE RAIDS UNTIL MID-FEBRUARY, 1945. HIS COMPANY CONDUCTED A SUCCESSFUL RAID ON A HOUSE IN BORRO AL FOSSO ON FEBRUARY 10, 1945, KILLING 1, CAPTURING 11 ITALIANS AND A CACHE OF ARMS AND AMMUNITION, AND BURNING THE HOUSE. HIS REGIMENT WAS GIVEN THE MISSION TO SEIZE THE MT. BELVEDERE-MT. GORGOLESCO-MT. DELLA TORRACCIA MASSIF WHICH WAS KEY TERRAIN DOMINATING THE PISTOIA-BOLOGNA HIGHWAY 64. HIS BATTALION WAS GIVEN MT. GORGOLESCO AS THEIR OBJECTIVE. ON FEBRUARY 19, 1945, HIS BATTALION LED A NIGHT ATTACK IN THE VICINITY OF SAINT FILOMENA UP THE MINE AND BOOBY-TRAPPED SLOPES OF MT. GORGOLESCO, WHICH WAS TAKEN ON FEBRUARY 20, 1945. HIS COMPANY WAS THE FIRST TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY DURING THE ATTACK. THEIR ATTACK THEN CONTINUED AGAINST HILL 1088. HIS REGIMENT DUG IN AND DEFENDED MT. GORGOLESCO AND HILL 1088 FROM FEBRUARY 21-26, 1945. THE UNIT CONDUCTED PATROLLING OPERATIONS, AND WAS HEAVILY ENGAGED BY ENEMY ARTILLERY, MACHINE GUN AND SMALL ARMS FIRE ON FEBRUARY 26, 1945. DURING THE MT. GORGOLESCO ASSAULT, HIS BATTALION LOST 31 KILLED IN ACTION (KIA) AND 89 WOUNDED IN ACTION (WIA). HIS COMPANY GUARDED KEY BRIDGES EAST AND NORTH OF CASONE ON MARCH 3, 1945; ATTACKED AND CAPTURED HILL 899 ON MARCH 5, 1945; CONTINUED THE ATTACK AGAINST MT. DELLA SPE AND ALSO SEIZED IT ON MARCH 5, 1945. HIS COMPANY WITHSTOOD 4 HEAVY GERMAN COUNTERATTACKS ON MT. DELLA SPE, AND CONTINUOUS HEAVY SHELLING AND CLOSE QUARTER COMBAT WITH BAYONETS AND HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING ON MARCH 5-6, 1945. HIS COMPANY WAS LITERALLY CUT OFF FROM THE REST OF THE REGIMENT DUE TO CONTINUOUS DAY AND NIGHT ARTILLERY BARRAGES DURING THIS PERIOD, AND HIS BATTALION SUFFERED 5 KIA AND 49 WIA IN THE 2-DAY ASSAULT. HIS COMPANY DEFENDED THE WEST SLOPE OF MT. DELLA SPE AND WAS SUBJECT TO RELENTLESS ENEMY ARTILLERY FIRE THAT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT CASUALTIES IN HEAVY SHELLING ON MARCH 9, 1945. HIS COMPANY WAS AGAIN THE TARGET OF HEAVY ARTILLERY AND MORTOR FIRE ON MARCH 11, 1945, WHEN PFC BECKHAM WAS KILLED IN ACTION WHILE DEFENDING MT. DELLA SPE IN ITALY. POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 BRONZE SERVICE STAR, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.