Charles Ray Beckman
1919-2013
Photo shared by Vickie Graves Jones
Charles Ray Beckman was born November 30, 1919 in Dayton Twsp. Sebastian
Co., Ar. to Flake Francis & Cleo Mirion Boyd Beckman. In 1930 he
is living with his grandmother, aunts and uncles in Arizona who had all been
born in Arkansas. His father died in 1927. His mother stayed in Sebastian Co.,
Ar.and married Mr. Sorrells. Charles mzrried
Jeannette Mae (Eva) Rajewski in October 1941, both residing in
California at that time.
July 1, 1941 Charles registered for the military draft in Monterey, Calif,
July 25, 1942 he enlisted in the US Navy. He was assigned to the USS Platte.
an oiler who refueled and delivered cargo to the task forces of WWII.
January 11, 2013 Charles Ray Beckman passed away January 11, 2013 and was buried
in the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Santa Nella, California.
Biography shared by Vickie Graves Jones
from Fighting Men of Arkansas
October 11, 1941
The Californian
Salinas, California
World War II
On 17 December, Platte put to sea with a convoy for Pearl Harbor and was underway on 11 January 1942
in company with the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6), flagship of Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.,
Commander of Task Force 8. She provided underway replenishment services for this carrier task force as
it guarded troop and cargo ships reinforcing the Samoan Islands.
Platte spent the next months refueling task forces on offensive patrol in the Coral Sea. She fueled the
Australian squadron along with the USS Lexington (CV-2) carrier task force and the USS Yorktown (CV-5)
carrier task force prior to the carrier strikes on Salamaua and Lae, New Guinea. She then stood out to
sea with Enterprise on 28 May as all fleet units prepared to turn back the expected Japanese attack on
Midway Island, fueling the Enterprise task force and the Yorktown task force just before the Battle of Midway.
Platte then began her support of Solomon Islands operations. She was in the ocean approaches to the Solomons
on the morning of 10 August, delivering fuel to the Enterprise carrier task group, then the USS Saratoga
(CV-3) carrier group two days later. Platte returned to Noumea on 14 August to replenish her tanks, then
subsequently fueled the Saratoga USS Wasp (CV-7), and Enterprise carrier task groups. After a return to the
West Coast, she operated in support of fleet units engaged in the Guadalcanal Campaign.
Platte departed San Pedro on 9 April 1943 to provide logistic support for the Aleutian Islands Campaign, serving
as station tanker in Kulak Bay, Adak. After several runs between the West Coast and Pearl Harbor, Platte served
with twelve other fleet oilers of Service Squadron 8 as part of a task group refuelling warships involved in the
Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign.
Platte was underway for the Marshall Islands the afternoon of 31 January 1944, fueling USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) and
six destroyers, before standing out to sea on 11 February. On 6 June, Platte cleared Majuro Atoll with Fast Carrier
Task Forces for the Marianas Islands, and on 14 June fuelled the Yorktown carrier task group while in sight of Tinian
Island. She completed her last fueling and third replenishment cruise for logistic support of the Marianas Operation
on 14 August.
Platte loaded fuel and cargo at Eniwetok, then made passage to Seeadler Harbor, Manus, Admiralty Islands. This harbor
was her base of logistic operations in support of the occupation of certain Palau Islands; Ulithi, in the Caroline Islands;
and Leyte and Samar in the Philippines. She cleared that base on 4 September and was off Palau to fuel numerous ships. Platte
was underway from Manus on 20 October with five other oilers and escorts to support the liberation of the Philippine Islands.
After overhaul in the United States, Platte provided logistic support to combat ships in the forward area to the northeast of
the Marianas Islands where she fueled carriers, cruisers, battleships and destroyers engaged in the Battle of Iwo Jima and the
carrier strikes on Tokyo.
Platte stood out to sea on 13 March to commence support of Fast Carrier Task Forces in the conquest of Okinawa. She terminated
her support of the Battle of Okinawa upon her arrival at Ulithi on 14 June and departed that port 3 July as part of the logistic
support force of Fast Carrier Task Force 38 for the strikes against Honshū, Japan. On 15 August word was received that President
Harry S. Truman had announced the agreement of Japan to surrender. Platte entered Tokyo Bay on 10 September to act as station
tanker in that port until 29 September when she got underway for return to the United States.
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