World War II Honoree

Clarence A. Becker

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Two Rivers, Wisconsin

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Technician 5th Class. Served in the Southwest Pacific Theater of Operations assigned to Bravo Company, 1896th Engineer Aviation Battalion attached to the U.S. 6th Army. Friday, January 12, 1945 he was killed in Action along with 110 other engineers, who were aboard the Liberty Ship, Kyle V. Johnson when a Japanese Kamikaze Aircraft flew into the transport. The battalion was in deployment status from New Guinea to the Lingayen Gulf, Philippine Islands and was transiting Manila Bay when the disaster occurred. He was buried at Sea by Administrative Decision and in memory; he is memorialized in the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, located at Fort Bonifacio, Philippine Islands. Decoration and Citation: Purple Heart. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart, who so gallantly gave his life for his country.