Thanks for your inspiring and moving comments.

You might be interested to know (I didn’t explain this in the blog post, but “here it is now”…) that I discovered Lt. Beck’s book “at random” quite a number of years ago, at a used bookstore. I read it very soon thereafter, and two aspects of Lt. Beck’s story immediately became apparent:

First, the very quality of his writing, shown in his clarity of expression and observations of the “larger world” around him.

Second, on a different level, he really seems to have had a solid premonition about his future, and the long-term implications of the effects of that future – of not surviving and returning – upon his parents and friends. And even if this was not the case, by simply documenting his experiences and ensuring that his writing would survive any eventuality, he realized the importance of recording his experiences simply for the sake of history; for posterity.

Though “fate” never allowed his literary skill to blossom in the fullness of time, at least that skill was used for a noble and memorable purpose.

In terms of a museum to which to donate Lt. Beck’s memorabilia, I can suggest three possibilities. (I haven’t asked them about this beforehand, it’s just that these names pop into my mind at random) If they don’t want to acquire Lt. Beck’s memorabilia, maybe they can suggest and organization that would. Just an idea…

They are:

1) National Museum of the United States Air Force
https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/
Donate an item:
https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Collections/Donate-an-Item/

2) The National World War Two Museum (New Orleans) (Maybe your best choice??? – Based on the Lt. Beck’s biographical profile at FindAGrave, they already have a copy of the book.)
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/
Donate an Artifact
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/give/other-ways-support-museum/donate-artifact

3) United States Air Force Academy
https://www.usafa.edu/
McDermott Library:
https://www.usafa.edu/facilities/library/

I’m glad Lt. Beck’s writings have survived across these nearly eight (!) decades.

I’m glad to have created the blog post about Lt. Beck.

Thanks very much for visiting my blog.

Regards,
Michael

Belated (!) response to your message…

I’d been aware of the general outline of your cousin’s story, from the book (used as a reference for this blog post!) “Sun Setters of the Southwest Pacific Area – From Australia to Japan: An Illustrated History of the 38th Bombardment Group (m), 5th Air Force, World War II – 1941-1946, As Told and Photographed by the Men Who Were There” – by Hickey, Janko, Goldberg, and Tagaya.

Therein, the loss of your cousin’s plane is summarized thus: “B-25G-1 42-64835 apparently encountered mechanical problems while returning from a mission to attack stores and personnel at Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea. While still in Japanese-held territory, the pilot made an excellent wheels-up landing in a flat area of tall kunai grass about four miles north of the village of Charapa, Sepik District, Papua New Guinea. The crewmen aboard were subsequently seen out on the wing and appeared uninjured. Later. Lts. Glidden, Timmermans and Fisk returned to the area and dropped supplies near a small fire the downed crew had apparently made at a campsite near the crash. No information was subsequently received concerning this crew and they were believed to have been captured by the Japanese and executed. (Appendix II, page 9)”

I also viewed the story as given at Pacific Wrecks, which – as per usual for that great site – the account is very detailed. The most striking sentence is, “At the time of the force landing, the nearest Allied forces were hundreds of kilometers east at Dumpu. The crew had little hope of being rescued, unless an airstrip could be cut into the vegetation.” Very sad; very haunting.

On a somewhat related note, you can view a portrait of the sole member of the 38th Bomb Group to survive Japanese captivity (Major Williston Madison Cox) at one of my brother blogs, WordsEnvisioned, where the image appears in a post pertaining to Garrett E. Middlebrook’s book “Air Combat At Twenty Feet”. (Click on http://wordsenvisioned.com/?p=6095.)

Thanks very much for your interest and comment!

On the way back from the mission it seems like ML’s navigator gave him a direct course to the coast avoiding Wewak….to the South and East….he left his formation and took the shortest direct line from where he was but had to put it down in the grass just seven minutes from a chance at rescue by a PBY.

They were seen at the crash site for two days ….all appeared uninsured…and have never been heard from again. The B-25 is still in the grass and can be seen on google earth.

More information:
http://Www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-25/42-64835.html

Jeff English
210-389-4960