Smith, Kenneth Dean S2
959 03 66

Brownsdale, Minn.

Oct 11, 1945

Captain U.S. Navy
Charles B. McVay III

Dear Sir:
As the mother of Kenneth Dean Smith S2/c. I'm writting to you for information.
Do you have Kenneth's service records and could I have them? Also did Kenneth have a locker and any belongings besides what he had on the ship? He spoke of a locker but I didn't know if he had any besides the one on the ship.
Do you suppose I could have a picture of the "Indianapolis"?
I would like one very much.
I thank you very much for your letter of sympathy.
Please notice we have changed our address from Dallas, Wisconsin Route 1 to Brownsdale, Minnesota.
And thank you again for your interest and the trouble I'm putting you to.

Yours sincerely
Mrs Floyd Smith

Pers-8249-adc

October 22, 1945

My dear Mrs. Smith,

Your letter of October 11, 1945, reached me a few days ago.

All the service records went down with the ship, but I have prepared the complete enlisted naval service of your son, taken from records here in the Bureau of Naval Personnel. I do hope this is what you had in mind.

There is no way of my knowing if Kenneth had a locker other than the one on the ship.

In compliance with your request, there is enclosed a picture of the INDIANAPOLIS.

I regret that I can not be of more help to you.

Again may I express my deepest sympathy to you.

Very sincerely,

CHAS. B. MCVAY, III
Captain, U. S. Navy

Mrs. Floyd Smith
Brownsdale, Minnesota

The following is the complete enlisted naval service of Kenneth Dean Smith, S2c, United States Naval Reserve.

13 Jan. 1944 Inducted this date in the U. S. Navay as Apprentice Seaman, USN-I at the Navy Recruiting Station, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in accordance with Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, as amended.

13 Jan. 1944 Voluntarily enlisted as Apprentice Seaman, Class V-6, U.S. Naval Reserve, SV, this date to serve for a period of two (2) years. Placed on inactive duty this date.

20 Jan. 1944 Recalled to active duty this date and transferred and received at Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Illinois, for recruit training.

9 Mar. 1944 Rating changed to Seaman second class.

24 Mar. 1944 Transferred to Naval Receiving Barracks, Shoemaker, California, for futher transfer.

30 Mar. 1944 Received at Naval Receiving Barracks, Shoemaker, California,

16 Apr. 1944 Transferred and received at Receiving Ship, San Francisco, California, for futher assignment.

25 Apr. 1944 Transferred and received on board the U.S.S. INDIANAPOLIS for duty.

Participated in bombardment, support and occupation of Saipan, Guam and Tinian Islands, Marianas Islands, from 11 June to 10 August 1944.

18 June 1944: Participated in the engagement between the Fifth Fleet and the Japanese Fleet off Saipan, Marianas Islands, in which over 350 Japanese aircraft and several Japanese ships, including carriers and destroyers were destroyed by the American Forces.

Participated in the bombardment, support, and occupation of the Palau Islands from 12 September 1944 to 29 September 1944. Participated in the air strikes on Tokyo on 16, 17, and 25 February 1945.

Participated in the assault, bombardment and occupation of Iwo Jima commencing 19 February 1945.

Participated in the Ryukyu Island operations commencing 18 March 1945.

Served honorably on the USS INDIANAPOLIS in the Okinawa Gunto Operation, 18 March - 7 April 1945.

30 July 1945 Missing in action this date following the sinking of the USS INDIANAPOLIS due to enemy action while enroute to the Philippines from Guam.

13 Sept. 1945 Status changed this date from Missing in Action to reported Dead.