Oree Charles Beck
Assistant Cook Oree C. Beck served with the Marine detachment aboard USS Houston (CA-30).
He was reported missing in action at the battle of Sunda Strait, Indonesia, on 1 March 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 286138
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
Based on circumstances of loss, this individual is considered permanently non-recoverable.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
November 6, 1920
in Collins, MS
Parents
George W. Beck
Inez C. (Anderson) Beck
Education
Details unknown
Occupation & Employer
Details unknown
Service Life
Entered Service
June 22, 1940
at New Orleans, LA
Home Of Record
Route 1
Heidelberg, MS
Next Of Kin
Parents, George & Inez Beck
Military Specialty
Ship’s Detachment
Cook
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Oree Beck joined the USS Houston in the spring of 1941 and served aboard her in the Philippines before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
On the night of 28 February 1942, a small flotilla of Allied ships, including the Houston, was engaged by a superior Japanese fleet in the Java Sea. After a ferocious fight, the Houston went down in the waters of Sunda Strait. Several hundred of her complement escaped the sinking ship and struggled in the water for hours before being picked up and taken prisoner.
Assistant Cook Beck was not seen after the sinking. His remains were never found, and he was declared dead on 15 December 1945.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered. The Houston wreck is considered his final resting place.
Memorials
Next Of Kin Address
The Becks lived on a rural route outside of Heidelberg, Mississippi.
Location Of Loss
Approximate location of the USSÂ Houston wreck site.
Comment from Jill Mcright
30 June 2016
This is my uncle, if anyone has further information, please contact me.