Kendrick, “Kenny,” was my stepfather. He and his wife and family lived in the community where I grew up in New York, East Elmhurst, an African American middle class/professional enclave in North Queens, near LaGuardia Airport. He and my father were good friends. When my father was sick in his last years, Kenny came every day to spend time with him. In fact, Kenny brought us the news that my father had passed away in the hospital. Six years after his wife had passed away, he and my mother married. They were married for 25 years when he died in 2010.
I knew that Kenny had served in the military during World War II. Like most veterans, he didn’t really talk about it. I knew a few things. I knew he had been in the Pacific theater and contracted what seemed tobe relapsing malaria, from which he suffered, with periodic fever episodes for the rest of his life.
I also knew he had been stationed in Alaska because when he developed Alzheimer’s, he would often look out the kitchen window and talk about the barracks being built in the distance. However, it was only after he died when I was going through his papers and found his DD214, his military discharge papers, that I learned he had been in both the European Theater and the Pacific Theater. I was shocked. I had no idea.
The Early Years
Kenny was born 25 June 1919, in New York,[1] the son of Josephine Madison and an unknown father reportedly from Ohio, according to the 1930 census. Josephine died in 1939, and Ken went on to live with his grandmother, Isabelle Madison and an aunt, Hattie Jones.
On 16 October 1942, Kenny registered with the draft.[2] His draft record indicated he was working for William E. Fountaine. His DD214 noted that he was a switchboard operator at the time. However, the enlistment which was found online and his DD214 both say that he enlisted on 20 October 1941. I suspect the draft card date was erroneously recorded. Thus, it would seem he was inducted just four days after he registered for the draft. This record indicated he was working with automobile repair, which foretells his career working with the NYC Transit Authority, repairing subway trains and tracks. He did his basic training at Camp Upton, in Yaphank, New York.[3]
Alaska Territory
According to his DD214, Kenny’s MOS was “Clk Gen 055.” On 5 June 1942, he was sent to the Alaska Territory, arriving on 10 June. Kenny was part of the 388th Engineer Battalion. I decided to look up information on the unit. I was surprised to learn that Congress passed a resolution honoring his unit and three other Black units for their contributions in building the ALCAN (Alaska-Canada) Highway, in record time.[4] The highway would be pivotal to the support of troops fighting on the Pacific front. In searching further, I learned that while these men were building barracks along the route (undoubtedly the barracks Kenny was “seeing” at the kitchen table), they were never allowed to sleep in them, even in -60F degree temperatures. The barracks were for White soldiers. Black soldiers slept in TENTS! Kenny never mentioned any of that. On 21 September 1943 he returned to the United States, arriving on 24 September.
Headed to Europe
In December 1943, Kenny received his Marksman’s badge on an M1 rifle. Involvement in the War was now imminent. One tell-tale sign was his vaccination record. He had received a tetanus shot in September, no surprise there, but in December he received a Typhoid shot, something that would be in preparation for travel overseas, including Europe. In January, he received a smallpox vaccination, also indicative of overseas travel. A US Smallpox epidemic didn’t occur until 1947.
Deployment came in March. Kenny left for the European Theater on 24 March 1944, arriving on 3 April. I have no information at this time about his activities when first arriving in Europe, exactly where he was stationed, for instance, though most likely somewhere in England. What I do know from his DD214 is that he participated in the landing in Normandy. He stayed in Europe until 24 July 1945, when he was sent to the Pacific Theater. He arrived on 30 August. He finally left for the USA on 10 November 1945, arriving on 8 December.
A Grateful Nation’s Recognition
For his service he received the World War II Victory Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Service Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, and of course the Good Conduct Medal. His DD214 also indicates the highest rank he attained was Sergeant.
Kenny was discharged on 19 December 1945 at Ft. Dix, in New Jersey.
Family Life
After returning from Alaska in September 1943, Kenny married Catherine Richardson on 6 October 1943.[5] Catherine’s family was from St. Martin, but she was born and raised in New York. They had one son. Catherine died 15 September 1987.[6]
On 25 November 1988, Kenny married my mother, Margaret Lee Williams, in Bethesda, Maryland.[7] They continued to live in East Elmhurst, Queens, until his death on 10 April 2010.[8] He was buried at Calverton National Cemetery, on Long Island, New York.[9]
On this 80th Anniversary of D-Day, Thank you for your service.
References
[1] Kendrick H Madison. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 [Database on-line]. Ancestry.com.
[2] Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com.
[3] Kendrick H Madison. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 [Database on-line]. Ancestry.com.
[4] Filson Journal. (2024). Black Regiments of the Alcan Highway. Retrieved from: https://www.filson.com/blog/profiles/black-regiments-of-the-alcan-highway-history/
[5] Kendrick H Madison and Catherine Richardson. New York, New York, U.S., Marriage License Indexes, 1907-2018 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com.
[6] Catherine R. Madison. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com.
[7] Personally present, Matron of Honor.
[8] Kendrick H Madison. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 [Database on-line]. Ancestry.com.
[9] Kendrick H Madison. 10 April 2010. National Cemetery Administration. U.S., Veterans’ Gravesites, ca.1775-2019 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com.
