Kenneth James Hitch ^{1 3}

Notes from Steve Hitch (10/22/2000): "Kenneth James Hitch was born in a home just outside of Geetingsville Indiana to Ernest Ray and Lois Victoria (Jewell) Hitch. siblings: Harold, Herman, Joseph, Lois Ann, and Robert resided at Geetingsville, Sedelia, Frankfort as a youth, 2 years in U. S. Navy Michigan, Michigantown for a short time after the with his Uncle Dee, South Jackson Street, Kokomo, Bunnell Street, West Washington Street, West Morrison street, Central Ave., west Jefferson Street and 1152 Mckinley Ave. where he currently resides. Attended Moran School for 1st 7 years, Old Scroggy School on Indiana 75 next to south fork of Wild Cat creek, Rossville School for 1 year, Michigantown School as a freshman and his Sophomore and Seniors at Frankfort High School were he graduated in 1944. Hobbies: fishing, baseball, basketball, watching his beloved Chicago Cubs and Indiana Hoosiers and is a prolific reader. Pets: His father had Coon Dogs when he was young, Mickey (German shepherd) and Queeny (spitz). married Helen Joanne Pollet Gunion Dec 18, 1946--children Kenneth Ray, Stephen Lynn, Daniel J.--Grandchildren Kenneth Andrew, Dana, Matthew Daniel and Cindy Lou---Great Grand Children Jessi, Andrea and Madison. Military Service: Joined the U. S. Navy during WWII in 1944 after graduating from School. Received his training at the Navy pier in Chicago and assigned to LSM 342 a landing ship for tanks and Artillery as Quartermaster and during combat was a gun spotter. He plotted the course and steered the ship during its service time during WWII from the time it was commissioned in 1944. They sailed down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico through the Panama Canal to San Francisco across to Hawaii and into the combat area. He was involved in many assaults and landings during the Pacific War campaigns in late 1944 and 1945. Three prominent battles he was involved in were landings at Saipan, Mariannas Islands and Okinawa. Though his ship was never directly attacked he was involved in anti-aircraft fire on incoming Japanese Bombers and Kamakazi attacks on the Landing crafts at the invasion sites and fired on enemy held caves and positions on bypassed Islands and unsecured areas. His ship was the flag ship for the invasion landing craft and accepted the surrender of Japanese forces in their area of operation at the end of the War. They were preparing for the invasion of Japan when the Atomic Bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki thereby saving the lives of many US service men as well as Japanese soldiers and civilians. He was discharged honorably in 1946 while at San Franciso Navy Yards and returned home. Occupations: Worked on various farms as a youth and at the Nickle Plate Railroad Yard while he was a Jr and Senior in High School,Served in the Armed Forces 2 years, worked as a painter part time after the War, worked at Ing Rich while laid of from the Indiana Brass, worked construction and helped build the Diana Shops and Threshers buildings, worked various jobs in Kokomo when first married, Haines Co. in Lebanon, worked at Indiana Brass and part time at Swifts Bean Plant until 1968 and retired from Chrysler Corporations plant in Kokomo in 1988.

Kenneth married Helen Joanne Gunion, daughter of William Hiram Gunion and Olive Patchett, on 18 Dec 1946 in Frankfort, Clinton Co., IN.^{1 2} (Helen Joanne Gunion was born on 09 Mar 1928 in Frankfort, Clinton Co., IN ² and died on 19 Aug 2007 in Frankfort, Clinton Co., IN.)