二次世界大戰資料庫 (WW2DB)

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseHenry Lee Kinnison, Jr. was born to Henry Kinnison, Sr. and Nettie Kinnison (née Danforth) in Colorado, United States in 1899. He joined the US Army upon graduating from the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. During WW2, at the rank of colonel, he was a staff officer serving under Joseph Stilwell in Asia. In mid-Apr 1944, he joined the US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), which was also known by the unit's unofficial nickname "Merrill's Marauders", currently operating in the vicinity of Nhpum Ga, Burma. He was made the commanding officer of K Force, consisted of the 5307th's 3rd Battalion, the Chinese 88th Regiment, and two howitzer guns as the Allies headed toward Japanese-held Myitkyina in Burma. Contracting mite typhus a few weeks into his arrival in the Burmese jungles, he was ultimately evacuated to the rear in late May 1944. He would nevertheless pass away from the disease shortly after. He was awarded the Silver Star medal for his WW2 service.

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