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SALT LAKE CITY — Richard Beckham, a Navy veteran who served as far back as the 1930s, turned 100 Friday and was honored by the Utah House of Representatives.
Beckham, who is the last known survivor of the crew that searched for famed aviator Amelia Earhart, was sung a happy birthday tune and also praised by Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine, for his longevity and service to his country.
When Earhart’s plane went down in the central Pacific in July 1937 as she attempted to circumnavigate the globe, Beckham was among those who volunteered to join the search party.
“I knew I was out there for a very important purpose,” Beckham said.
Beckham was the team’s radio operator, and sent out the search’s first message. But this proved to be a difficult endeavor over such an amount of water.
"It was pretty hard to tell if you're going over the same area, or you're going to miss a place because you can't tell one place from another,” said Beckham.
He also had an 8mm camera with him which he used to shoot the only footage collected during the operation, and shared the camera with other planes in an attempt to collect as much as possible.
The search team spent about 10 days looking for Earhart, but was ultimately disappointed after ending up unsuccessful.
I knew I was out there for a very important purpose.
–Richard Beckham, on the Amelia Earhart search he took part in
“We all had a glum feeling about it, and there was very little talking about it," Beckham said.
The outcome aside, Beckham was celebrated Friday by both legislators and his extensive family. He boasts one son, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, all of whom were thrilled to celebrate his milestone 100th birthday with him.
And on a day where he was honored in part for his amazing longevity, he had one piece of advice for those looking to emulate it.
“Just don't pay attention to the calendar or anything. Just keep living."
