Born: March 5, 1917
Died: July 5, 1992
Campaigns Served: Namur, Saipan (wounded)
Highest Rank Attained: First Lieutenant
Decorations: Purple Heart
Chuck Bechtol was born in Washington in 1917. He distinguished himself as an athlete, competing in baseball, basketball, track and football, and gaining a reputation as a collegiate quarterback. He met his future wife, Gretchen, while at the University of Washingon. Bechtol graduated in 1940, married in 1941, and enlisted in the Marines in 1942.
With Dog Company:
Second Lieutenant Bechtol commanded the 81mm mortar platoon in Dog Company. He was assisted by fellow Second Lieutenant William C. James, and saw his first taste of action during the battle of Namur when his guns fired in support of an attack on February 2, 1944. When the company was disbanded in March, 1944, Bechtol was transferred to Baker Company.
With Baker Company:
Lieutenant Bechtol reported to Baker Company as a platoon leader. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in the spring of 1944, and probably led the company's mortar section through training at Camp Maui. Bechtol made the landing on Saipan, but was shot in the leg and evacuated on June 16, 1944.
After the war, Charles Bechtol raised a family and led a productive life, first on the athletics faculty of UW, and later as an executive who made a name for himself as a labor negotiator. He died in 1992.
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