After a span of eight years, Captain Beardsley, a member of the Naval Historical Foundation, responded to a survey to participate in the Foundation’s oral history program. At the same time, fellow NHF member and Professor of History at William Paterson University Suzanne G. Bowles, also expressed interest in participating. Because Dr. Bowles already knew Captain Beardsley as a member of the Northern New Jersey chapter of the Navy League, it was an ideal match. During the session with Dr. Bowles, Captain Beardsley discussed his duties as Commanding Officer of USS PC 1140 and USS PCE-R 858. USS PC 1140 served in the Atlantic and Mediterranean in 1944. The ship served as a control ship for the invasion of Southern France. Captain Beardsley was then ordered back to the states to command USS PCE-R 858, a ship designed to pick up survivors from sinking ships and perform other missions. En route to participate in the invasion of the Japanese home islands, he reached Hawaii when news of the Japanese surrender broke.
Preface by Dr. David Winkler and Subjects Covered
