Kenneth Graham Napier
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
NAPIER, Kenneth Graham
Kenneth Graham Napier was born on January 16th 1924 to Andrew Kenneth & Katherine [Graham] in Hibbing, Minnesota.
Mr. Napier was inducted into the U.S. Army on February 23rd 1943, at Fort Snelling, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Home at entry: Hibbing, Minnesota.
He served as a parachutist/rifleman with Company E of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division in Normandy, Rhineland, and Ardennes. He was twice wounded on June 13th 1944, in France, and December 24th 1944, in Belgium. He rose to the rank of Private First Class (PFC).
PFC Napier earned the following merits for his service:
- Bronze Star Medal,
- Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster,
- Presidential Unit Citation,
- Good Conduct Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge,
- American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 bronze battle stars and bronze arrowhead, -and-
- World War II Victory Medal.
He received a honorable disability discharge on June 28th 1946, at the Percy Jones Hospital Center in Fort Custer, Michigan.
Mr. Napier tragically died on June 5th 1947 at 23 years of age in Duluth, Minnesota. He is buried at Maple Hill Cemetery in Hibbing, Minnesota
Source(s): Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 216.
Albert J. Amatuzio Research Center | Veterans Memorial Hall (vets-hall.org)
Page 1 WWII Draft Registration Cards - Fold3
