Bussey American Legion Post #505: World War II Veterans

Pvt. Kenneth E. Kendall, 37111413, Co. M, 127 Inf.

Entered service January 4, 1942. Was Spec. Heavy Machine Gunner. Overseas Pacific Area. Participated in New Guinea, Papuan and Philippine Campaigns. Decorations: 3 bronze stars for New Guinea, Papua and Philippines, Good Conduct, Distinguished Unit Badge, Combat Inf. Badge. Served overseas from April 22, 1942, to February 13, 1945. Arrived in States March 11, 1945. Discharged August 1, 1945, in service 3 years, 6 months, 28 days.

Pfc. Verle G. Kerr, 502 Parachute Inf., Regt. 101 Airborne Div.

Entered service January 29, 1943. Overseas December 30, 1943. Maneuvered in Wales and Scotland. Landed night of June 5-6 in Normandy, St. Mere Eglise, St. Con de Moute, France. Wounded June 9, Caratou France in first organized bayonet charge. Returned to U. S. August 28, 1944. Decorations: Purple Heart, 2 battle stars. In service 39 months.

Sgt. Ellis F. Kester, 37194217

Entered service May 4, 1942, 4th Inf. Div., 704th Ord. Co. Overseas European Theatre, England, January 10, 1944, France, D-Day Landing, Utah Beach with Assault troops, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany. Decorations: E.T.O. Bronze Arrowhead with 5 battle stars, 2 Presidential Unit Citations with silver star, Good Conduct Ribbon and bar. Left Germany July 26, 1945 by plane, landed Miami Beach, Florida, July 30, 1945. Discharged August 7, 1945. In service 39 months.

Enlisted January 26, 1942. Service school at Ford Motor Co., March 1942. Transferred to Amphibian Training Base, Little Creek, Virginia, A.F.A.F. Adm. Com. Det. W.O.B., Norfolk, Virginia, A.T.B. Ft Pierce, Florida, U.S. Naval Grp., China. Discharged February 9, 1946.

Harry Kirtley, T/5

Entered service March 23, 1942, Ft Des Moines, Iowa. Was in 4th Infantry. Overseas service: Aleutian Islands, August 11, 1942, till December 1, 1943. Decorations: American Theatre, Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon with 2 bronze stars. Good Conduct, Presidential Unit Citation, A. R. 600-68. Discharged November 3, 1945. In service 3 years, 7 months, 9 days.

Pfc John Klobnak

Entered service January 18, 1942, 818 Aviation Engineers. Overseas, England, France, Belgium, Germany, 42 months. Decorations: E.T.O. Ribbon, 3 bronze stars, Good Conduct. Discharged September 18, 1945.

1st Lieut. Lloyd U. Krouse

Pilot, entered service of Army Sept. 10, 1942. Preflight at San Antonio, Texas, Aviation Cadet Center. Advanced Pilot training Ellington Field, Houston, Texas. Served in 2534 A.A.F. Base unit Bombardier school. Discharged Sioux City, Iowa October 10, 1945. In service 37 months.

1st Sgt. Clyde A. Marsh, U. S. Marines

Entered service September 21, 1939. Overseas July 13, 1941 till February 12, 1943. Then September 19, 1944 till July 14, 1946 in Pacific Area. Decorations: Asiatic-Pacific with 2 battle stars, American Defense 1 star, Victory Medal, Japanese Occupation, American Campaign, Good Conduct with 1 bar. 85 months service, still serving.

Pfc. Everett Martin, A.A.F.

Entered service February 23, 1943. Served at St. Petersburg, Florida, Buckley Field, Colorado, Lowry Field, Colorado, Laredo, Texas. Discharged August 23, 1943 at Sam Houston General Hospital, San Antonio, Texas.

Pfc. Harry E. Martin

Entered service March 27, 1944. Overseas, September 26, 1944, Pacific Theatre, India, Burma, China, with Chinese Combat Command. Returned to States November 3, 1945. Decoration: Combat Infantry Badge, Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific, with 3 bronze stars, 2 overseas bars. Meritorious Service. Commendations while serving in China Combat Command. Discharged November 9, 1945. In service 19 months.

1st Lieut. Russell W. Martin

Entered service January 31, 1941. Overseas April 8, 1945. In France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia till January 3, 1946. Decorations: Good Conduct, Combat Inf. Badge, E.T.O. Ribbon, 1 battle star, Pre Pearl Harbor Ribbon, Victory Ribbon. Discharged January 3, 1946. In the service 5 years, 1 month.

Sgt. Thomas L. Martin

Entered U. S. Marines February 5, 1942, had former experience in Marines and was sworn in as Cpl. Served with Naval Ammunitions Depot, Crane, Indiana and Bremerton Navy Yards, Bremerton, Washington and Naval Ammunitions Depot at Hastings, Nebraska. Discharged October 31, 1944. In service 2 years, 9 months.

Cpl. James D. Mathews, U. S. Marines

Entered the service July 8, 1940, San Diego, California, Hawthorne, Nevada, Camp Pendleton, California. Overseas Pacific Area, July 1942 till November 1944. Engagements at Enivetok Atoll, Guam. Decorations: Defense, Victory, Good Conduct Medals, American Theatre, Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon with 2 bronze stars, Naval Unit Citation. Discharged October 23, 1945.

Sgt. Joe J. Mathews, 37679973

Entered service November 2, 1943, Rainbow Division. Overseas, landed at Marseille, France December 8, 1944. Saw action Ardennes, Central Europe, Rhineland. Returned to States January 3, 1946. Decorations: Combat Inf. Badge, Good Conduct, E.A.M.E. Medal. Re-enlisted in regular army. Is now serving in Adok Aleutian Islands.

Henrietta McComb, Y 3/c

Entered service July 11, 1944. Stationed at Olathe, Kansas. Discharged from the U.S.N., Great Lakes, Illinois August 29, 1945.

Entered service October 26, 1942. Overseas December 21, 1942, Pearl Harbor and Pacific Area, 23 months. Discharged October 9, 1945.

Entered service January 18, 1944, Ft Leavenworth, Ks. Served at Coe College Army Spec., Sheppard Field, Texas, Truax Field, Wisconsin. Discharged April 8, 1945.

Entered service February 25, 1943, Jefferson Barracks, Mo., Michigan State College, San Antonio, Texas. Pre. Flight, Primary Flight, Vernon, Texas, Keesler Field, Mississippi, Willow Run Bomber Plant, Air Base, Lincoln, Neb, Sioux City Air Base, Salino Air Base, Ks. Discharged February 14, 1946. In service 35 months.

Entered service June 27, 1942. Was Mess Sgt at Ft. Ord, California. Discharged February 18, 1946.

Entered service February 16, 1943. Was heavy truck driver. Overseas at Bismarck, Archipelago, East Indies, New Guinea, Luzon, Philippine Islands. Decorations: Meritorious Unit Award, Philippine Liberation, Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Ribbon, 1 star, Good Conduct Medal. Returned to U.S. November 20, 1945. Discharged December 30, 1945. In service 34 months.

Entered Navy November 24, 1942. Entered V-12 from Navy Supply Corp. School at Wellesley College, Wellesley, Ma. as Ensign. Overseas to the U.S.S. Sigel as Asst. Sup. Officer, later appointed Supply Officer. Overseas 17 months at New Guinea, Philippines. Decorations: Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon, American Defense, Philippine Liberation, Victory Ribbon. Discharged September 6, 1946.

Entered service January 7, 1944, Des Moines, Iowa. Served 10 months in service in U.S.A. Discharged October 18, 1944, San Diego, California.

Entered service September 19, 1942. Received commission at the Coast Guard Academy at New London, Conn. March 16, 1943. Served aboard the U.S.P. Murgim and U.S.S. Aridadue and San Francisco shore duty. Decorations: American Theatre, Asiatic-Pacific, Victory Ribbon. Discharged July 30, 1945.

Entered service August 17, 1944. Trained in Denver, Co. and Texas. Overseas May 16, 1946 in Pacific Theatre. Decorations: Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon, 1 battle star, Philippine Liberation and Victory Ribbon. Discharged February 19, 1946.

Entered service January 9, 1941. Overseas Los Negros, Admiralty Islands, 10 months, Guam , 8 months. Decorations: Good Conduct, Defense Medals, Asiatic-Pacific, Victory Medal, American Theatre. Discharged January 9, 1945.

Entered service December 14, 1942. Overseas Pearl Harbor, New Hebrides, New Caledonia, Fyu and Canton Island. Decorations: South Pacific Ribbon, American Defense. Discharged November 20, 1945. In service 35 months.

Entered service Missoula, Mont., May 11, 1942. Overseas July 15, 1942, Australia. Returned to States November 17, 1944. Decorations: Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, and 4 overseas bars. Discharged July 18, 1945, 3 years, 2 months, 8 days in service.