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Kenneth served in the Army, 3rd Infantry
Division, from June 3, 1943 to November 18, 1945. His rank was Technician
4th Grade in Battery D, 216 AA Gun Battalion.
From a Honolulu newspaper article after World War II:
Colors of Croix de Guerre Are Worn By Sergeant
K. W. Young
Staff Sergeant Kenneth W. L. Young is entitled to wear a decoration
seldom seen in Hawaii. It is the Aiguillette, a braid loop about
the shoulder, of the French decoration, fourraegere de Croix de
Guerre.
The French decoration is a unit award similar to the Presidential
Unit Citation. He is entitled to wear the award as a member of
the famed 3rd division, known as the Rock of the Marne from World
War I days. He also has the distinction of being the only oriental
in the division.
The entire division received the fourraegere decoration. The
unit in which Sergeant Young served also received the Presidential
Unit citation.
Sergeant Young, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Young Fong of Koko Head
fish pond, was graduated from St. Louis college and from the Illinois
Institute of Technology, class of 1942.
With the 3rd division, he served on the beachhead at Anzio and
through the Naples to Foggia, Rome to Arno, southern France, the
Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns.
He wears an arrowhead for the Anzio beachhead landing and five
battle stars as well as the Purple Heart, Victory ribbon and the
Combat Infantrymen's badge.
The sergeant was discharged November 1945 at Longbranch, N.J.
He arrived in Hawaii in time to spend New Year's Day with his
parents.
He expects to make his home here.
The following combat chronicles, current as of October 1948, are
reproduced from The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the
Army of the United States, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950,
pp. 510-592.]
World War II
Overseas: 27 October 1942. Campaigns: Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia,
Rome-Arno, South France, Rhineland, Central Europe. Days of combat:
233. Distinguished Unit Citations: 11. Awards: MH-35 ; DSC-109 ;
DSM-6 ; SS-4,817 ; LM-50; SM-172 ; BSM8,137 ; AM-72. Commanders:
Maj. Gen. Charles F. Thompson (July 1940-August 1941), Brig. Gen.
Charles P. Hall (August 1941-September 1941), Maj. Gen. John P.
Lucas (September 1941-March 1942), Maj. Gen. Jonathan W. Anderson
(March 1942March 1943), Maj. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott, Jr. (March
1943-February 1944), Maj. Gen. John W. O'Daniel (February 1944-December
1945), Maj. Gen. William R. Schmidt (July 1945-August 1946), Maj.
Gen. Edwin P. Parker, Jr. (August 1946-October 1946), Maj. Gen.
Jens A. Doe (October 1946February 1947), Maj. Gen. Percy W. Clarkson
(February 1947 to present). Returned to U. S.: 4 September 1946.
Combat Chronicle
The 3d Division is the only American Division which fought the Nazi
on all fronts. The Division first saw action in the North African
invasion, landing at Fedala, 8 November 1942, and capturing half
of French Morocco. On 10 July 1943, the Division made an assault
landing on Sicily, fought its way into Palermo before the armor
could get there, and raced on to capture Messina, thus ending the
Sicilian campaign. Nine days after the Italian invasion, 18 September
1943, the 3d landed at Salerno and in intensive action drove to
and across the Volturno and to Cassino. After a brief rest, the
Division was ordered to hit the beaches at Anzio, 22 January 1944,
where for 4 months it maintained its toe-hold against furious German
counterattacks. On 29 February 1944, the 3d fought off an attack
by three German Divisions. In May the Division broke out of the
beachhead and drove on to Rome, and then went into training for
the invasion of Southern France. On 15 August 1944, another D-day,
the Division landed at St. Tropez, advanced up the Rhone Valley,
through the Vosges Mountains, and reached the Rhine at Strasbourg,
26-27 November. After maintaining defensive positions it took part
in clearing the Colmar Pocket, 23 January18 February 1945, and on
15 March struck against Siegfried Line positions south of Zweibrucken.
The Division smashed through the defenses and crossed the Rhine,
26 March 1945 ; then drove on to take Nurnberg in a fierce battle,
capturing the city in block-by-block fighting, 17-20 April. The
3d pushed on to take Augsburg and Munich, 27-30 April, and was in
the vicinity of Salzburg when the war in Europe ended.
Assignments in the ETO*
1 July 1944: AFHQ, but attached to Seventh Army and SOS, NATOUSA
for supply. 13 July 1944: AFHQ, but attached to the VI Corps, Seventh
Army. 15 September 1944: VI Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.
15 December 1944: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group but attached to the
French II Corps of the French First Army. 28 January 1945: XXI Corps,
Seventh Army, 6th Army Group, but attached to French First Army.
15 February 1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group, but attached to
the French II Corps of the French First Army. 18 February 1945:
Seventh Army, 6th Army Group, but attached to the French II Corps.
12 March 1945: XV Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group. 31 April
1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group. 23 April 1945: XXI Corps, Seventh
Army, 6th Army Group. 28 April 1945: XV Corps. 6 May 1945: Seventh
Army, 6th Army Group. 8 May 1945: XV Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army
Group.
General
Nickname: Rock of the Marne. Slogan: The words of Maj. Gen. Joseph
Dickman are sometimes employed, "Nous resterons la!" Shoulder
patch: A square containing three diagonal white stripes on dark
blue field. Association: Society of the Third Infantry Division,
P. O. Box 74, Franklin Station, Washington 4, D. C. Publications:
History of the Third Infantry Division, World War II, by unit members;
The Infantry Journal, 115 Seventeenth Street NW., Washington 6,
D. C.; 1947 ; 575 pp. Blue and White Devils, by unit members; TI&E,
ETOUSA ; distributor, Society of the Third Infantry Division.
The 3d Division earned the title "Rock of the Marne"
at Chateau Thierry in July 1918.
*See footnote, 1st Infantry Division.
© 2002 CKYoung
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