A bright sunny day with hardly a cloud in the sky set for a fitting and proper burial of Fireman First Class William Henry Kennedy.
Joining the U.S. Navy in July of 1940, Kennedy was assigned to the USS Oklahoma where he perished alongside fellow sailors and Marines during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Lost for three quarters of a century, Kennedy’s remains were recently identified and plans were made for his honorable return to his hometown of Titonka.
One of the greatest sorrows in Kennedy’s mother’s life was knowing that her youngest son died in WWII.
For the first time in far too many years, Kennedy finally came home, just in time for Mother’s Day.
Arriving at the Des Moines International Airport on Thursday, May 11, Kennedy received full military honors as if he died serving his country yesterday.
For more on this story, please see the May 18 issue of Kossuth County Advance.