Beckwith, William James, GM2

Gunner's Mate
 
 Service Photo   Service Details
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Current Service Status
USCG Veteran
Current/Last Rank
Petty Officer Second Class
Current/Last Primary Rate
GM-Gunner's Mate
Current/Last Rate Group
Gunner's Mate
Primary Unit
1968-1969, GM, Squadron One - Division 13, CG Squadron 1
Previously Held Rate
SA-Seaman Apprentice
SN-Seaman
Service Years
1966 - 1970
Other Languages
Spanish
Official/Unofficial US Coast Guard Certificates
Bluenose
Golden Shellback
Order of Magellan
Order of the Ditch
Order of the Ditch
Order of the Golden Dragon
Rednose
Shellback
Voice Edition
GM-Gunner's Mate

 Official Badges 

USCG Honorable Discharge Marine Investigator Badge


 Unofficial Badges 

Vietnam Combatant-Craft Crewman Badge Gulf of Tonkin Yacht Club Order of the Arctic Circle (Bluenose) Order of the Golden Dragon

Order of the Golden Shellback Domain of the Emperor Penguin Vietnam Veteran 50th Commemoration Vietnam 50th Anniversary

Cold War Veteran Order of the Ditch Southeast Asia Wargames


 Military Associations and Other Affiliations
Post 414Coast Guard Combat Veterans AssociationCG Sea Veterans of AmericaVeterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
United Services Automobile Association (USAA)Coast Guard Together We Served [Verified]Chapter 42
  1970, American Legion, Post 414 (Life Member) (Angelica, New York) - Chap. Page
  1990, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 717 (Life Member) (West Palm Beach , Florida) - Chap. Page
  1998, Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association
  2000, CG Sea Veterans of America - Assoc. Page
  2000, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) - Assoc. Page
  2000, United Services Automobile Association (USAA) - Assoc. Page
  2016, Coast Guard Together We Served [Verified]
  2018, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Chapter 42 (Life Member) (West Palm Beach, Florida) - Chap. Page


 Additional Information
What are you doing now:


GM2-ELD Supervisor Certification in 6/1969.  
Medically retired 2008,  VACP SMC-L1 w/A&A 100%, all AO exposure 68-69 medical issues, none of disability from WIA 4/17/69 RPG shrapnel "ALL my disability from "AO" + "Parkinson's Disease". VA-WPB took great care until 3/2019. Corona-Virus covid-19 11/22, hosp. 11/27-12/18/2020 

WPB-82304 POINT LEAGUE we've lost "11" out of who served on her 4/68-5/16/69 crew  "AO" disease's [7 ]  w/Ischemic Heart Disease [2]-2
004 BM1 [Robert W] Bobby Durrance rip & BMCS Robert W Martin rip; [1]-
2012 CS2 Terry [Terrance V] Mann rip; [1]
2018 ENC [William R] Pat Patrick rip; [1] 
BM3 Paul Stephen Runkle 2002 rip; [1]
1990 SN [Martin James] Marty Haker rip yn3 w/cancer & ischemic heart disease only 40. [1] 
MDS bone marrow cancer 12/2014 ET2 Dan [Daniel W] Adams rip. [1] 
CS2 Rodney W Clark rip; [1] 
2017 Ltjg Dennis William (Bill) Kushia Kurtz [capt] rip; [1] 
Ltjg T. M. Alexander rip; crew has some "AO" med. issues, [3] 100% VA disabled. survived RPG's, River Mines, AK's & brick to head, leaving VUNG TAU bar, weekly Boston Whaler ditch rides, [3] who do not complain about, talk about their medical issues 
CO LT Wm Harry Norris Capt 30 yrs Legal & JAG mostly west coast retired to CA, 
Ltjg [Court] Courtney John Storey retired to MN, One of his Uncles won Medal Of Honor WW2 as a Major in USMC was an Atty, didn't have to be on front lines, BMC E Wayne Gray BMCM retired to NC several times NC SP, NC Marine patrol, Yacht Capt & addicted fisherman. all doing well also EN3-2 Dennis H Chamberlain; FN-BM2 Clifford K Hall, GM2 Deryck Edward Pocock running his gunsmith shop in Olivo TX 1994 to present are our survivors.

WHAT CAN YOU SAY? A surprise triple bypass for me 6/4/2018.

1st ship & Mentors  WAGB-279 Eastwind 66-67  Lt Joe Cooley [Capt] 62-98, BM3 Jack Crowley [bmcs] 57-88, rip 5.19.2017; Lt Geo Watts .a[Cdr] 60-85, rip 7.1.2016; MENTORS GMCS jOHN HENRY MACORIMICK, 4-8/67 GM-A sch ORDNANCE & AMMUNITION, GROTON, CT, CO CWO3 Bob Fleming [cwo4] 75; GMCM D J GINGERY [gmcm]; FTC Fred Schacht [ftc]; GMC Carl Jerry DeLair [gmc] 53-74 rip; FT1 Brian Kelley [cwo3] 61-81; GM1 Robert Carpenter [gmc] 57-79 rip 11.11.2018; Squadron One 82304 Pt League BMC Wayne Gray [bmcm] 57-90, & BMCS Robert W Martin  49-70 rip, BM1 Robert W [Bobby] Durance [BMC] 57-77 rip, Lt William Harry Norris .a[Capt] 61-95,  Last mentor Marine Port Safety Detachment Sta-ELD Concord, Ca 69-70 BMC James Tom Hanks [bmc?] 53-??, [4 daughters] LT James Morgan acting CO a.65[cdr] 

   
Other Comments:

Units : CG Training CG Cutters CG Bases USN Training USMC Training Recruit Training Cape May Group Base Boston W279 Eastwind Boston GM A School Groton W64 ESCANABA New Bedford COTP & PSU-301 Group Boston maa [not Cape Cod ] USN Fleet Airborne Electronics S.E.R.E. Warner Springs  USMC 29 Palms wpns USN Coronado USMC Camp Pendleton wpns     USCG Squadron#1 Training Alameda RON#1 Pt.Young 82303 An Thoi Cat Lo Pt.League 82304 Cat Lo Cam Ranh Bay   82304 Pt League Div-12 2 patrols 9/28-10/23-27/68-on MSTS SS GREEN SPRINGS Div-12 to SASEBO &-
10/27/68 to 12/27/68 in SASEBO shipyards then SASEBO to DIV-12 ON M/V TRANS-COLORADO 12/28/68 to 1/5/69 
USN NAVSUPPACT SASEBO JAPAN   RON#1 PT.League 82304  SEALORDS SCATTOR Train RVN To Replace Program     RVNS Navy 2-5/69     RON#1 Div-13 spare boat crew WIA 4/17/69   U.S.C.G.   Explosive Loading Supervisory School ELD   Concord     C.G. Marine Port Safety Detachment Concord maa ELD USN-USMC   names NWS-NAWS- NAD-NOD-NAVMAG Port Chicago-NAVWPNSTA Seal Beach North we had US Army too
Rank : Petty Officer Second Class

RankInsignia : Gunner's Mate
MOS : Gunner's Mate-w/ELD at MPSD-Concord Ca maa
Years : 5/2/66-5/1/70 Reserve 7th-1970, 9th-1971, 3rd 1971-72
GCM: 1hr late Rochester-Boston flight 12/67 AWOL NJP no GC medal
Country: 10 days restricted to base United States of AMERICA
Location: NWS CG Marine Port Safety Detachment ELD Concord Ca

   

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Operation Deep Freeze (Antarctica)
From Month/Year
January / 1955
To Month/Year
December / 2020

Description

Ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster IIIs redeployed from Christchurch, New Zealand, wrapped up the 2006-2007 season of Operation Deep Freeze in late February. This unique joint and total force mission has supported the National Science Foundation and U.S. Antarctic Program since 1955 and is currently led by Pacific Air Forces, 13th Air Force.

“This has been a record setting year. We moved more cargo and more people and did it faster this year than ever before,” said Lt. Gen. Chip Utterback the Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica commander.

“I’m incredibly proud of our Airmen and Sailors who showed great initiative and innovation while operating in the coldest, windiest, most inhospitable continent on the globe,” he said. “Despite that environment they ensured fuel, supplies and personnel were delivered safely and on time to McMurdo Station and camps throughout the continent.”

During the recently concluded 2006-2007 season, LC-130s flew 430 missions, moving nearly 11 million pounds of cargo and 1,000 passengers throughout Antarctica. The C-17s flew 57 missions to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, from Christchurch carrying more than 3 million pounds of cargo and 2,700 passengers to McMurdo, and more than 720,000 pounds of cargo and 2,600 passengers to Christchurch from McMurdo.

Also this season, C-17 aircrews achieved an airpower milestone Dec. 19 by completing the first C-17 airdrop mission that delivered approximately 70,000 pounds of supplies to the South Pole. The ability to airdrop supplies using the C-17 versus the LC-130, which is the traditional platform used to airland supplies on the ice, allows aircrews to deliver up to four times as much supplies in a single airdrop mission in conditions that do not permit airland missions.

The LC-130s and personnel from the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard; C-17s and personnel from the 62nd and 446th Airlift Wings, McChord Air Force Base, Wash., supported air operations for JTF-SFA. The U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker Polar Sea, homeported in Seattle, worked with contracted Swedish icebreaker Oden to cut a channel to the McMurdo Ice Pier, and Sailors from Naval Cargo Handling Battalion 1, Williamsburg, Va., deployed to McMurdo Station to offload cargo brought to McMurdo by the Military Sealift Command-contracted ship, American Tern.

The Polar Sea, joined the Oden Jan. 1, which began breaking ice Dec. 26. In supporting ODF, USCG icebreakers have broken through as much as 84 nautical miles of ice to produce a navigable shipping channel into McMurdo Station. This year’s channel was about 23 nautical miles long – 13 of which is first year ice at an average thickness of 3-5 feet and 10 of which is multi-year ice at an average thickness of 5-11 feet.

This vital shipping channel allows supply ships to deliver more than 6 million gallons of fuel and 4,000 metric tons of cargo, enabling McMurdo and South Pole Stations to remain manned and operational throughout the harsh winter months. The Polar Sea also acts as a floating research platform for scientists that travel onboard. Ice breaking operations concluded Feb. 15 with the departure of the Polar Sea from McMurdo Station.

The Polar Sea, a 399-foot polar class icebreaker with a 140-person crew, is recently out of a two-year overhaul and was specifically designed for solo icebreaking in remote Polar Regions. The ship turned 29 in January of this year. The cutter’s red reinforced hull is made of 1.75 inches of steel that covers a specially contoured icebreaking bow. The ship can call on 75,000 shaft horsepower enabling it to break up to 21 feet of ice. The Polar Sea has deployed 17 times in support of ODF.

Sailors from NCHB 1 completed cargo handling operations at McMurdo Ice Pier Feb. 11. The detachment of 70 Sailors began off-loading operations Feb. 4 when the American Tern arrived at the ice pier. The Sailors off-loaded 10.4 million pounds of cargo, then turned around and on Feb. 7 started backloading 9.6 million pounds of cargo onto the ship.

In addition to retrograde and scientific material being shipped off the continent, many of the 583 shipping containers contain trash and waste. In order to maintain the pristine environment of the continent, international treaty stipulates nothing can be left behind. All trash and waste is containerized, removed and transported off the continent.

The Sailors worked around the clock in two 12-hour shifts to complete this mission. February in Antarctica provides continuous sunlight, which contributes to mission safety and efficiency.

For more than 50 years the NSF has relied on the skills and unique abilities of Airmen and Sailors from the U.S. Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy to ensure safe delivery of life-sustaining cargo for its research scientists and residents at McMurdo Station.

   
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
August / 1966
To Month/Year
April / 1967
 
Last Updated:
Jun 19, 2020
   
Personal Memories

Memories
WAGB-279 Eastwind  TF-43 Deep Freeze 67 & Around The World

   
My Photos From This Battle or Operation
 (More..)
Deep Freeze 67 Around the World WAGB-279
Deep Freeze 67 Around the World WAGB-279
Deep Freeze 67 Around the World WAGB-279
Deep Freeze 67 Around the World WAGB-279

  7 Also There at This Battle:
 
  • Cooley, Joseph Patrick, CAPT, (1962-1998)
  • Jensen, Donald Scott (Don), CAPT, (1961-1995)
  • Vallee, George, PO3, (1963-1967)
  • Walgamott, Terry, PO2, (1965-1969)
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