World War II Honoree

Kenneth Bacon

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

Relationship

Relationship Not Determined

DRAFTED INTO MILITARY SERVICE IN THE US ARMY IN 1943. TRAINED INITIALLY IN THE AMERICAN THEATER FOR ENTRY-LEVEL ‘BASIC TRAINING’ AND THEN FOR ADVANCED MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY (MOS) QUALIFICATION. AFTER TRAINING, ASSIGNED TO THE 184TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 7TH INFANTRY 'HOURGLASS' DIVISION. SERVED OVERSEAS AS A MORTAR CREWMAN IN A HEAVY WEAPONS COMPANY IN THE REGIMENT, IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER DURING THE WAR. THE M2 MORTAR WAS A 60 MILLIMETER SMOOTHBORE, MUZZLE-LOADING, HIGH-ANGLE OF FIRE WEAPON, USED BY US FORCES IN WWII TO SUPPORT GROUND FORCES IN COMBAT. HIS JOB WAS TO LOAD MORTAR ROUNDS BY DROPPING THEM DOWN THE TUBE MUZZLE. HIS REGIMENT DEPARTED THE TERRITORY OF HAWAII ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1944, ARRIVED AT ENIWETOK ATOLL IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1944, ARRIVED AT MANUS ISLAND IN THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS ON OCTOBER 3, 1944, AND CONTINUED ON TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. PARTICIPATED IN THE LEYTE AND RYUKYUS CAMPAIGNS. HIS REGIMENT ASSAULTED LEYTE IN THE PHILIPPINES ON OCTOBER 20, 1944. IT WAS ON LEYTE THAT HE SAW HIS FIRST COMBAT ACTION. HIS REGIMENT LANDED ON OKINAWA, A JAPANESE HOME ISLAND, IN THE RYUKYU ISLANDS IN APRIL, 1945. FROM THE BEGINNING, COMBAT ACTION WAS VIOLENT AND BLOODSHED WAS A DAILY FACT OF EXISTANCE. HE RECALLS A SCENE WHILE WALKING ON A HILL, THAT HIS REGIMENT HAD TAKEN EARLY IN THE DAY. THE SCENE HE ENCOUNTERED WAS A BAMBOO THICKET THAT HE FIRED MORTAR ROUNDS INTO. ENEMY DEAD WAS EVERYWHERE, WITH BODY PARTS BLOWN INTO BAMBOO STANDS AND TREES. LATER, A JAPANESE ARTILLERY SHELL HIT A FOXHOLE NEXT TO HIS. HE WENT TO SEE IF HE COULD ASSIST THE OCCUPANTS. HE FOUND ONE SOLDIER SITTING AND COVERED BY SAND. AS HE TRIED TO REMOVE THE SAND, HE FELT SOMETHING SOLID AND UNCOVERED PART OF THE MAN'S LEG SEVERED AT THE HIP, AND ALSO WITH A MAJOR ARM WOUND AS WELL. HE GAVE THE MAN SOME FIRST AID AND LOOKED TO FIND ANOTHER SOLDIER IN THE FOXHOLE. THAT SOLDIER WAS COMPLETELY COVERED BY SAND AND HAD ONE HEEL BLOWN OFF. HE UNCOVERED THE SOLDIER AND RENDERED SOME FIRST AID AND THE MAN SURVIVED. WHILE HE DID NOT KNOW, IT IS LIKELY THAT THE FIRST SOLDIER DIED FROM LOSS OF BLOOD. THERE WAS NO TIME TO LINGER OVER THE DEAD AND WOUNDED DURING INTENSE COMBAT. HE WAS INVOLVED IN A MAKESHIFT BURIAL FOR FELLOW SOLDIERS WHEN HE WAS ORDERED TO DIG A COUPLE OF HOLES AND BURY 4 MEN IN ONE AND 3 MEN IN THE OTHER. HOW DID HE COPE WITH THE WOUNDINGS AND LOSSES? HE SAID HE JUST 'SUCKED IT UP, AND WENT ON.' A NEAR MISS FOR HIM WAS WHILE HE WAS FIRING AT THE ENEMY. HIS SERGEANT RAN UP TO HIS FIRING POSITION AND DIRECTED HIM AND HIS GUNNER TO MOVE TO ANOTHER POSITION. HE LOADED UP THEIR AMMO AND HIS GUNNER MOVED THE MORTAR. AS THEY RAN, A JAPANSE ARTILLERY ROUND HIT BEHIND THEM. THEY KEPT RUNNING TO THE NEW POSITION. AT SOME TIME LATER, THEY NOTICED THAT THEIR SERGEANT WAS NOT WITH THEM. THEY DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD BEEN KILLED BY THE ROUND THAT HIT BEHIND THEM. HE CARRIED THAT MEMORY WITH HIM AND REGRETTED THAT HE DID NOT GO BACK AND SEE IF THE SERGEANT HAD BEEN KILLED IMMEDIATELY, OR WOUNDED AND MIGHT HAVE SURVIVED WITH RAPID CARE. THEIR OLD FIRING POSITION WAS HIT BY THE ENEMY ROUND, AND IF THE SERGEANT HAD NOT TOLD THEM TO MOVE, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. HE WAS ON OKINAWA ON AUGUST 15, 1945, WHEN THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED THE ALLIED UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER TERMS. HE COULD BARELY CONTAIN HIS EMOTIONS WHEN HE HEARD THE NEWS. THE JAPANSE GOVERNMENT FORMALLY SURRENDERED TO THE ALLIES ON BOARD THE AMERICAN BATTLESHIP USS MISSOURI (BB-63) IN TOKYO BAY, JAPAN ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945, AND PRESIDENT TRUMAN PROCLAIMED VICTORY OVER JAPAN (V-J DAY). HIS REGIMENT ARRIVED IN KOREA FOR OCCUPATION DUTY ON SEPTEMBER 8, 1945. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (2 CAMPAIGNS), WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL. QUALIFIED FOR THE EXPERT GUNNERY BADGE WITH '60MM MORTAR' QUALIFICATION BAR. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.