World War II Honoree

John A. Becker

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Denver, Colorado

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Sergeant. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps August 5, 1943 at Denver, Colorado, with recruit training assigned to the Ninth Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base Parris Island, South Carolina. Upon his graduation from boot camp, he was designated to attend the Marine Corps Aviation Flight Training Program. He served as an Aerial Gunner, abroad the PBJ-1H AKA: Love Bug Patrol Bomber, and based at Stickell Airfield Location: Eniwetok Atoll, Central Pacific Theater of Operations. His unit was the Marine Squadron Six-Thirteen AKA: VMB-613 Squadron, Marine Air Group-31 and Fourth Marine Air Wing. February 6, 1945 the squadron departed Eniwetok on a bombing mission against the Japanese airfield on Ponape Island, Senyavin Islands. As the Pilot approached the target, the bomber was shot down by anti-aircraft ground fire, crashing near the airfield. Japanese forces buried the crew in a mass grave on the Island. His remains were repatriated from Ponape Island, with burial at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Lemay, Missouri on June 10, 1949 with Military Honors. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.