Our Military Heroes

Civil War, 1st Lieutenant then Captain

35th Illinois Infantry, Company C

Wounded - Battle of Chickamauga, 1863

Wounded - Battle of Pickett’s Mill, 1864

Wounded - Battle of Allatoona Mtns, 1864

RECORD

Honorable Discharge

World War 1, Private

Enlisted at Marine Base Mare Island, California

Boot Camp at Camp Pendleton

Served in Cuba from April - June 1919

AWARDS

 WWI Victory Medal

 48-star United States Flag

RECORD

Honorable Discharge

Character, Obedience and Sobriety:  all Excellent

Military Efficiency:  Very Good

Remarks:  Service Honest and Faithful

World War II (1939 - 1947) 

Promoted from Enlisted to Officer in April 1942

Enlisted Rating: Aviation Chief Metalsmith; Officer Ranks: Ensign and then Lieutenant

Wartime Responsibilities, Assignments and Duties:

WWII (Sept 1, 1939-Dec 7, 1941): 1939-4/9/40: Aviation Chief Metalsmith attended Flight School at NAS Pensacola, FL, for Naval Aviation Pilot training; Earned Wings/ designated NAP on 3/12/40. (4/10/40-December 7, 1941): VP-71 (Ex VP-51), North Atlantic Neutrality Patrol/ Battle of the Atlantic: PBY-5 seaplanes patrol for U-boats/ reported locations to allies for destruction; convoy escorts for supply ships crossing the Atlantic to England. 

PACIFIC WAR (Dec 7, 1941- Mar 6, 1944): 12/8/41: VP-71 ordered to Pearl Harbor. 12/9/41: Squadron left NAS Argentia, Newfoundland, for 16-day trip with layovers at 6 Naval Air Stations: Quonset Point, Norfolk, Pensacola, Corpus Christi, San Diego, and Alameda – to prepare crew and PBY-5’s for combat; installed extra fuel tanks on aircraft for the 18.3-hour flight to Pearl Harbor – arrived on 12/26/41. Reconnaissance over Territory of Hawaii region for 4 months. 4/13/42: Honorable Discharge and immediate reenlistment/ promotion to Chief Aviation Pilot and “(temp) Officer/Ensign, Naval Aviator.” 4/27/42-3/5/44: VP-71 conducted search, patrol and anti-sub operations from Oahu, Midway, Johnson Atoll and Canton Island, plus 2 tours of duty in the South Pacific; included VP-71 "Black Cat" night patrols. 8/1/42: Awarded the US Navy Good Conduct Pin. 8/5/42: Designated Patrol Plane Commander. 3/1/43: Commissioned “(temp) Lieutenant jg,” flew a few PBY-5A's (amphibious seaplanes). 3/6/44: Tours of Duty in South Pacific concluded. Returned stateside; trained pilots. 4/1/44: Promoted to (temp) Lieutenant. 8/20/44: Military Wedding. 9/1944-1945: Camp Kearny radar training, test pilot, trained pilots, Operations Officer. 10/23/45: Awarded the American Campaign (American Theater) ribbon (3 stars). 12/17/45: Transferred to NAS Kaneohe, Oahu, test pilot, education officer. 10/18/46: US Naval School "Naval Justice" Certificate. 11/1/46: final Honorable Discharge concluded enlisted ranks; reinstated/ commissioned to “(temp) Lieutenant Commander.” 1/17/47: assigned as Commanding Officer of FASron 116 at NAS Barbers Point, Oahu, Hawaii, until it was decommissioned, since it was for Pacific War operations. 6/21/47: Commanding Officer, FASron 10, NAS Barbers Point. Decommissioned in August 1947. 8/5/47: Awarded WWII Victory and American Defense Medals. 8/7/47: Temporary Officer Commissions made permanent per the Officer Personnel Act of 1947 (Public Law 381, 80th Congress approved). 8/18/47: Transferred to NAS Ream Field; training on airborne electronics, anti-sub warfare. Oct-Dec 1947: Assistant Legal Officer.  

WWII Registry Honoree Plaque:

 https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1598285

AWARDS & RIBBONS

American Campaign Medal

China Service Medal

Korean Service Medal

United Nations Service Medal

Asiatic Pacific Area Medal (three stars)

Navy Good Conduct Medal

WWII Victory Medal

RECORD

3 Honorable Discharges (3 reenlistments)

Retired in 1961 as a Lieutenant Commander and Naval Aviator

World War II - 2nd Lieutenant (and Ken's younger brother)

Killed in Action October 4, 1943 at age 21

B-24 Liberator - Co-Pilot

8th Army Air Force

579th Bomb Squadron

392nd Bomb Group (Heavy)

Nicknamed the Crusaders

Stationed in Wendling, Norfolk, England

Memorialized on the Walls of the Missing, Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten

- https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/about-netherlands-american-cemetery/

Diversion Mission at the Frisian Islands, North Sea

Map & Description at https://b24.net/MM100443.htm

Aircraft #42-7474 - 3rd Mission

Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) #00891

AWARDS

Air Medal

Purple Heart

See also: www.8af.af.mil/, www.honorstates.org/ and www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/

World War II - Corporal

Field Artillery, 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion, Company C

European Theatre Stations

Norway, France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Russia

D-Day, June 6, 1944 -  Landed on Omaha Beach and Survived

Moved through France; Ken was wounded and in a Field Hospital for 3 months

Ken regrouped with Battalion 

Battalion located in Aachen, Germany in November 1944

Battalion discovered concentration camp(s)

AWARDS

Bronze Service Arrowhead

Purple Heart

WWII Victory Medal

RECORD

Honorable Discharge

World War II - Staff Sergeant 

B-25 Mitchell - Armorer - Tail Gunner 

"Sharp Shooter of the Sky"

13th Army Air Force

390th Bomb Squadron

42nd Bomb Group

Nicknamed the Crusaders

Pacific War/South Pacific

Stationed in the Philippines

"Aerial Gunnery School" Graduate,

Harlingen Army Air Field, Texas.

AWARDS

USAAF Aerial Gunner's Wings - one pair

Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

WWII Victory Medal

RECORD

Honorable Discharge

World War II - Seaman First Class

USS Hansford (APA 106) - Ship Type: Bayfield-class Attack Transport

Pacific War

Tokyo Bay Allies Armada for the Japanese Surrender Ceremony on September 2, 1945

Operation Magic Carpet

AWARDS

Asiatic Pacific Medal

American Area Medal

WWII Victory Medal

RECORD

Honorable Discharge

Machinery Technician 2nd Class

USCG Cutter Barbara Mabrity, Mobile, AL (2020-2023) 

USCG Cutter Alex Hailey, Kodiak, AK (2018-2019)

Coast Guard Machinery Technician "A" School  

USCG Cutter Hatchett, Galveston, TX (2016-2017)

Boot Camp, Cape May, NJ (Spring-Summer 2016)

MILITARY HONORS 

2 Armed Forces Service Medals 

4 Meritorious Team Commendation Ribbons with an 

Operational Distinguishing Device

COAST GUARD HONORS   

Letter of Commendation

2 Good Conduct Medals

Special Operations Service Medal

Achievement Medal with an 

Operational Distinguishing Device

2 Sea Service Ribbons

“E” Ribbon

Unit Commendation Ribbon

Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon