Charles served as a Technician Fifth Grade, Headquarter's Company, 40th Infantry Division, U.S. Army during World War II.

He resided in the District Of Columbia prior to the war.

Charles was a passenger on C-46D #44-77360 that was assigned to the 70th Squadron, 433rd Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Force.

C-46D #44-77360 took off, with a crew of 4 and 21 passengers, on a ferrying mission from Elmore Field, Mindoro, Philippine Islands to Tarauan, Leyte, Philippine Islands.

They crashed, due to bad weather, into a mountainside approximately 4 miles northwest of San Roque, Leyte, Philippine Islands. The entire crew and all passenger were killed on this flight.

Charles was declared "Killed In Action" in the "Line Of Duty" on this mission during the war.

Service # 33119096

Son of Mrs. Bella Bekenstein who resided in Charleston, West Virginia.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Crew who perished on C-46D #44-77360:

Bruno, Samuel A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Haslam, Wilson B ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WA
Poillucci, Arthur T ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, NY
Reed, Myles V ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NJ

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Passengers who perished on C-46D #44-77360:

Adkins, Chester C ~ Pfc, IL
Baird, John H, Jr ~ 1st Lt, MO
Baker, Raymond E ~ T/4, WA
Bekenstein, Charles J ~ T/5, D.C.
Compton, Lewis G, Jr ~ Capt, TX
Davis, Guy J ~ Pfc, NC
Dougherty, Charles E ~ Capt, WA
Enochs, Charles S ~ Capt, CO
Fatula, Andrew ~ Sgt, PA
Frankforther, Lewis L ~ Pvt, OH
Gonzalez, Alejandro ~ S/Sgt, TX
Hageman, Jack F ~ Pfc, OH
Horning, Adam E ~ T/5, MI
Jacobs, James A ~ 2nd Lt, WV
Sass, Joseph F ~ FO, NJ
Sermersheim, Joseph J, Jr, Corp, KY
Turner, Charles H ~ Capt, AL
Walton, Robert M ~ Corp, PA
Weston, Bruce S ~ T/5, VA
Wigen, Ken J ~ Corp, WI
Willis, John R ~ 1st Lt, NY

( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charles served as a Technician Fifth Grade, Headquarter's Company, 40th Infantry Division, U.S. Army during World War II.

He resided in the District Of Columbia prior to the war.

Charles was a passenger on C-46D #44-77360 that was assigned to the 70th Squadron, 433rd Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Force.

C-46D #44-77360 took off, with a crew of 4 and 21 passengers, on a ferrying mission from Elmore Field, Mindoro, Philippine Islands to Tarauan, Leyte, Philippine Islands.

They crashed, due to bad weather, into a mountainside approximately 4 miles northwest of San Roque, Leyte, Philippine Islands. The entire crew and all passenger were killed on this flight.

Charles was declared "Killed In Action" in the "Line Of Duty" on this mission during the war.

Service # 33119096

Son of Mrs. Bella Bekenstein who resided in Charleston, West Virginia.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Crew who perished on C-46D #44-77360:

Bruno, Samuel A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Haslam, Wilson B ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WA
Poillucci, Arthur T ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, NY
Reed, Myles V ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NJ

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Passengers who perished on C-46D #44-77360:

Adkins, Chester C ~ Pfc, IL
Baird, John H, Jr ~ 1st Lt, MO
Baker, Raymond E ~ T/4, WA
Bekenstein, Charles J ~ T/5, D.C.
Compton, Lewis G, Jr ~ Capt, TX
Davis, Guy J ~ Pfc, NC
Dougherty, Charles E ~ Capt, WA
Enochs, Charles S ~ Capt, CO
Fatula, Andrew ~ Sgt, PA
Frankforther, Lewis L ~ Pvt, OH
Gonzalez, Alejandro ~ S/Sgt, TX
Hageman, Jack F ~ Pfc, OH
Horning, Adam E ~ T/5, MI
Jacobs, James A ~ 2nd Lt, WV
Sass, Joseph F ~ FO, NJ
Sermersheim, Joseph J, Jr, Corp, KY
Turner, Charles H ~ Capt, AL
Walton, Robert M ~ Corp, PA
Weston, Bruce S ~ T/5, VA
Wigen, Ken J ~ Corp, WI
Willis, John R ~ 1st Lt, NY

( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~