Warren left high school in his sophomore year in Holstein, Ida County, Iowa, as 6 foot 2 1/2 inch, age 17 years, 17 days. He promptly added a year to his age and enlisted in the United States Army at Fort Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, Date Enlisted: 13 October 1931. The United States was in a deep economical depression and nearly half of American’s able-bodied men were unemployed. He had enlisted because there was no work available in or around Holstein, Iowa. Description on Military papers, Height: 6 feet 1 1/2 inches in height, Blue eyes, Hair, Light Brown, Complexion: Ruddy; Comment: His eyes were Hazel in color not Blue. (Tattoo’s on Warren’s arm list places of service: San Francisco, Philippines, China, Japan, Formosa, Guam).Also printed in the Holstein Advance Newspaper October 1931, Warren William Kelley, son of William and Marie Kelley has joined the United States Army.
On Warren’s way to the Philippines, he had a stop over in San Francisco, California, were they were just starting construction on the Golden Gate bridge. While stationed in the Philippines, Warren found himself assigned to the construction battalion responsible for building the gun emplacements and labyrinth of connecting tunnels and munitions storage areas on the Island of Corregidor. Warren was the first tram operator to take a vehicle through the completed Corregidor tunnels.
It was while they stationed him at Fort Omaha, Omaha Nebraska, that on a blind date he met, courted and married Shirley Marian Shaw on 29 Sep 1936. At the time of their marriage, Warren was a private in the United States Army
Served in the U.S. Navy as a Radarman 3c on the U.S.S. Lamson. He was Wounded in Action when his ship was hit by a Kamikaze pilot. My mom said he had flash burns even though his dungarees appeared uncharred.
Here is an account of the attack: Tin Can 367, from a book of the same name.
Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Casualties, (1941-1945)U.S. World War II Navy Muster Rolls. 24 Jan 1944, U.S.S. Lamson.
Dale Keith Kelley (1923-1997)
Enlisted in the Navy: 8 Mar 1943, Released: 1 Dec 1945 (according to U.S. Department of Affairs BIRLS File)
He trained at the U.S. Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Illinois, 1943.
A Postcard sent to his Aunt & Uncle
Dean with “Mustang”
My Dad, Dean Darrell Kelley (1927-2012), joined the Merchant Marines right out of High School. He was 17, in training at the U.S. Maritime Service Training Station in Brooklyn, NY. He witnessed the celebration of VJ day on Broadway in New York City. He later served in the U.S. Army in Korea.
Many of Edmund’s Family worked at the Puget Sound Navy Shipyard in Bremerton:
Edmund’s Grandfather, Oren Bradford Scott (1923-1990), was an Apprentice Pipefitter at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyards from 1941 to 1945. The asbestos he inhaled there ultimately contributed to his death of Mesothelioma. He was not drafted because he had a steel plate in his head after an automobile accident.
His (adoptive) Father, Russell Irving Scott (1898-1960) also worked at the Naval Shipyards as a Crane Operator, retiring after a heart attack in 1949.
Oren’s Father-in-law, John A. Schumacher (1887-1967), also worked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard as an Electrician from about 1942 until he retired in the late 1950’s.
His wife, Odelia “Tillie” Keller Schumacher (1903-1993) also worked at the Shipyards doing custodial work.
Oren’s (adoptive) Uncle, Forrest Efaw Ragan (1910-1944) died in combat on the island of Guam. He was a Private First Class in the U.S. Marine Corps.
July 1944
He was awarded the following awards posthumously:
Copy of Navy Unit Commendation with ribbon bar, awarded First Provisional Marine Brigade, –service on Guam, Marianas Islands.
American Defense Service Medal.
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.
Victory Medal World War II.
He was initially buried in Army, Navy, and Marine Cemetery Number Two on Guam, Mariana Islands. He later was reinterred at the Green Hills Memorial in Burlington, Washington.
At Basic Training at Camp Roberts, Dean met his friends, Hal Ryerson, Dave Mellen, & Al Ogden. He went from Yokohama to Hwacheon, near the border with North Korea. In the 7th Division, 31st Infantry Regiment he was quickly promoted to Sargeant Major, earning a stripe every 30 days. He never wanted to talk much about Korea, after all, war is hell!…Once he was in a foxhole up to his neck in water, holding his rifle above his head, and bugs crawling in his hair. There was a cryptic remark in a letter from one of his school friends: “I never had an experience like your Hill 1062.” The worst part was sending young men to the front and seeing them come back in body bags. He never liked rice much after Korea, but he was proud of his service.
I thought that this made him sound like a higher-ranked “Radar O’Reilly!”Medals left to right: Korea, For service in defence of the principles of the charter of the United Nations; Bronze Star for meritorious achievement; “Efficiency, Honor, Fidelity” for Good Conduct; Korean Service USA; National Defense. Above: Combat Infantryman’s Badge, awarded to persons under enemy fire, “a very prestigious award.”
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My Uncle, Jay B Clifford (1928-2004), also served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War.
Edmund’s Uncle, Alexander R. Bressette, (1932-2006) was a Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corp.
My Civil War (1861 to 1865) Ancestors—by Dana Kelley Bressette
They are all on my mom’s side. The families settled in Kansas, not long after.
(All of my dad’s grandparents were more recent immigrants}
These are the men who would have been of age to be in the Civil War:
U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865
Hezekiah Russell Cornutt Cornett (1838-1891) (2nd great grandfather) Enlisted in the Confederate Army, 6 May 1863 in the 63rd Regiment (McMahon’s Regiment) Company C, Grayson Militia. The summer of 1863 the regiment was charged with the security of the saltworks at Saltville, VA. — AWOL June 18 1863–Deserted (or mustered out) 1 Jul 1863. —a little over a month. He was 25.
Brother against brother? I thought I once heard a story that Hezekiah fought on the opposite side of the war that his brothers fought on and he had to sneak home to visit his mother. I found this note in my records, from a correspondent: “Hezikah left when he overheard his brothers talking about hanging him for fighting for the North.” — Perhaps it was because he deserted from the Confederate Army?
Alfred Alexander Cornutt (1818-1905), his father, enlisted as a private in the Confederate Army in Company I, Virginia 51st Infantry Regiment in 1863. He would have been 45. Reuben Cornett (1847-1898), Hezekiah’s brother, enlisted in the Union Army, Company I, 2nd West Virginia Cavalry, on June 30, 1864. He would have been 17. His other brothers were younger. His Grandfather, Reuben would have been in his 70’s (He fought in the War of 1812).
Richard Verbryck (1837-1899) (2nd great grandfather) enlisted as a Private in the Union army on 9 July 1863, Company A, 114th Infantry Regiment Indiana Mustered Out Company A, 114th Infantry Regiment Indiana on 21 Jul 1863 at Indianapolis, IN. He was 25.—Only 12 days?
Indiana Volunteers
James Woodrum (1839-1872) (2nd great grandfather): (listed as single here? ) He would have been 24 and married 3 years with a daughter. He and Emily Jane Baugher were married in Jun 1860, but Census records show them still living with their parents in August of that year. He lived in Coles County Illinois; his wife lived in Cumberland County, Illinois. — Or this James Woodrum is possibly his nephew? Either way this is only the registration for the draft.
U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865, Coles County, Illinois; June 1863
William Clifford (1808-1877) (2nd great grandfather) according to His wife’s biography: “He was a young man of considerable prominence having…been a Captain of militia in the “Keystone State.” prior to his marriage in 1844. He would have been age 53-57 in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, during the Civil War.
–On my husband’s side of the family, his maternal grandmother’s ancestors were more recent German immigrants from the Ukraine or “Little Russia” His maternal grandfather was adopted. Many of his ancestors were from Canada, but some do go back to New England. His father’s side were all French Canadian, some have gone back and forth across the border at various times. I did find that my husband’s 3rd great-grandfather, Frederick Bresette, served in the Civil War:
Frederick Bresette (1845-!924) served as a private in Company B & C, Vermont 9th Infantry Regiment. He enlisted on 22 Dec 1863 and was mustered out on 1 Dec 1865.
His gravestone at Saint Joseph’s Cemetery Waterford, Saratoga County, New York.
On Ed’s maternal grandfather’s side, His infamous biological 3rd great-grandfather, Napoleon Bonaparte Rand, appears to have been a prospector/miner in California and Oregon during the Civil War. His wife’s (Phoebe Mitchell”s) father, however, appears to have served:
Samuel C. Mitchell (1830-?) Enlisted in Company Battery G, Rhode Island Company G, 1st Light Artillery Battery on 02 Dec 1861. Mustered out on 08 Dec 1863. Transferred to Company H, U.S. Veteran Reserve Corps 1st Infantry Regiment on 08 Dec 1863. Mustered out on 18 Nov 1864.
Here is an analysis of my nephew’s Y-DNA results. Many, if not all, of our matches descend from a David O’Killia, who immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid 1600’s. A common ancestor with them is likely to be 12 to 20 generations back, so could go back to the 1400’s or 1500’s: Dean’s Y-DNA analysis
Here are a couple poems by a “T. Kelly.” I don’t know who he is, perhaps a brother or another son of Michael’s.
Warren William Kelley (1914-1987)
Frederick Bresette (1845-!924) served as a private in Company B & C, Vermont 9th Infantry Regiment. He enlisted on 22 Dec 1863 and was mustered out on 1 Dec 1865.
