Kenneth F. St. Marie
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Navy
Kenneth F. St. Marie enlisted in the Naval Reserve on August 12, 1940.
Mr. St. Marie served as a Boatswain's Mate Second Class. He was called to active duty aboard the USS Paducah (PG 18) on November 4, 1940, at Staten Island, New York.
He attended landing craft school in Coronado, California. He also served aboard the USS Goshen (APA 108) in the Atlantic and Pacific.
He participated in the invasion of Ie Shima and Okinawa, transported the atom bomb maintenance crews from Seattle to Tinian. He also delivered personnel and supplies to Yokohama, Japan, in September 1945.
He led hazardous duty when he had to deliver a landing craft to Philippine loyalists. "This was an all night and day journey past Japanese emplacements and a journey on which we were not expected to survive. Led out of the jungle on foot to the shore where a landing craft picked me up. Later rejoined to my ship at sea en route to Japan. The Goshen carried a complement of 560 officers and crew and 2,500 fully armed troops. Because of our speed we never traveled in convoy. Therefore, enemy submarines were always uppermost in our minds. We also brought troops ashore in the Ryukyu Islands."
Mr. St. Marie was awarded the following: Combat Action Ribbon.
He was discharged from the service on December 4, 1945.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The Saint Louis County World War II Project, 277.
