Oral History Interview with Richard Beck, May 16, 2002

Oral History Interview with Richard Beck, May 16, 2002

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Track One 0:35:36

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Beck. Beck joined the Army in November of 1939. He was stationed at Hickam Field on Oahu beginning September of 1941. He served as an aircraft radio operator. He traveled to the Del Monte Airfield in Mindanao, Philippines where he completed radio repair work and was assigned the 81st Division Communication Chief. In May of 1942 they, along with native Filipinos, were captured by the Japanese and held at Camp Keithley. Beck shares his grim experiences with his captors, including executions and exhaustive marches. He was imprisoned at … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording (35 min., 36 sec.)

Creation Information

Beck, Richard May 16, 2002.

Context

This audio recording is part of the collection entitled: National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection and was provided by the National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. More information about this recording can be viewed below.

Interviewee

Beck, Richard

Interviewers

Publisher

National Museum of the Pacific War
Place of Publication: Fredericksburg, Texas

Audiences

Check out our Resources for Educators Site! We've identified this sound as a primary source within our collections. Researchers, educators, and students may find this recording useful in their work.

Provided By

National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

Description

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Richard Beck. Beck joined the Army in November of 1939. He was stationed at Hickam Field on Oahu beginning September of 1941. He served as an aircraft radio operator. He traveled to the Del Monte Airfield in Mindanao, Philippines where he completed radio repair work and was assigned the 81st Division Communication Chief. In May of 1942 they, along with native Filipinos, were captured by the Japanese and held at Camp Keithley. Beck shares his grim experiences with his captors, including executions and exhaustive marches. He was imprisoned at Bilibid for 19 months, where he contracted a neuromuscular disease. In June of 1944 he was sent to Cabanatuan and liberated by the US Army Rangers. After extensive medical treatment he was discharged in September of 1945.

Physical Description

1 sound recording (35 min., 36 sec.)

Subjects

Keywords

Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms

Library of Congress Subject Headings

World War, 1939-1945

University of North Texas Libraries Browse Structure

Language

English

Item Type

Sound

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this recording in the Portal or other systems.

Accession or Local Control No: OH00526
Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metapth1607818

Relationships

Oral History Interview with Richard Beck, May 16, 2002, [transcript] ark:/67531/metapth1604005

Collections

This recording is part of the following collections of related materials.

National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

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