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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The last known survivor of the crew that searched for aviator Amelia Earhart has been honored in Utah on his 100th birthday.
The state House of Representatives sang "Happy Birthday" on Friday to Richard Beckham, who served with the Navy beginning in the mid-1930s.
KSL reports (http://bit.ly/1BU0dsF ) Beckham was praised for his longevity and service to the country.
Earhart was the first female to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and vanished in the early morning of July 3, 1937 en route to Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean.
Beckham, a radioman stationed on the USS Colorado, was among those who joined the search for Earhart.
Beckham says searchers "had a glum feeling" about Earhart's fate and "there was very little talking about it."
She hasn't been seen since.
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Information from: KSL-TV, http://www.ksl.com/
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