7th BB & USS Karnes Photos & Bulletin Board

Trying to find out if you have any record of Kenneth Herman Hecker 7th NBB. I am not sure which company he was in he was a radio operator big help probably not (out 450 men).

My name is Chris D Hecker his son contact kf4ejs@earthlink.net

Leland Stanford, Jr (Circa WWII), Virginia USA
and the future Mr. & Mrs. Leland Stanford (Circa 1952)

War is Hell. It is never particular as to who its victim are. It touches every life it comes into contact with, even those not born yet. The lives of all children born to war veterans will be inevitably affected by how the war touched their father’s life, because wars never leave the people who fought in them the same person when it is over.

This is my story, the story of my father, his life, his WW2 experiences, his loss and sadness throughout life, and how it touched us all.

I am his daughter. I want his story to be told. It is a story that needs to be told.

This book is for my father, who’s spirit was killed in WW2, but his body just didn’t know it. It is for all the men and women who have ever fought in wars and emerged from the fighting changed people forever; for all the wives, sons and daughters who always wondered why their lives weren’t the same as their friends’ lives were.

It is also for my mother, who stood by my father, her husband, because he really was, deep down, a gentle soul. She always loved him. The love never died.

Growing up in the 1960’s and 1970’s, I always knew that my dad was in the WW2. It was a known fact, but it was also known that he never talked about it, and we weren’t supposed to either. So we never did. Never. The only thing I learned was one day my grandmother (my dad’s mom) told me that when my dad came home from the war, he just sat in a rocking chair for a year or two and cried all day. I also saw a newspaper clipping once of him leading Japanese Prisoners of War. And I heard once that he had to help dig mass graves for soldiers. But that was all I heard.

Dad was never what I’d call a happy person. He was a loner throughout his life. He was never a warm, loving, nurturing father. Not like my friend’s fathers were. So something was different, we just didn’t know what.

I never really wanted to know my father’s war history, it was something you just didn’t think about. It was just something he went through. I grew older, went to college, got married and had a child, but I never grew close to my dad. He suffered a myriad of mental and physical problems until he died in 1991. In 1993, my mom passed away, I went through their attic, getting the house ready for sale, saw my dad’s ribbons and discharge papers amongst everything else, and just gave them to my older brother.

Then in 1993 we got a call at my parents’ house from a person (who knew my Dad in the war). My brother talked to him a bit, the guy sent a letter, but we didn’t think much about it.

Several years later, now, for some reason, I feel compelled to find information. I cannot explain it to anyone, but I need to know. So, I am beginning the long search into my dad’s past. I want to know what made him the way he was. And as I sift through the information, the picture is becoming clearer. My dad went through a literal Hell. I believe that what he went through in WW2 changed him forever. It made him a sad person. That affected us all.

Folks, these photos are just a sampling of an unforgettable memory of the recent USS Karnes and 7th Beach Battalion reunion! There are many, many more available to view for free at the links below. Each link holds up to 22 different photos. All you have to do is click on the link, follow the directions to register for free (no obligation), and enjoy! Click on each photo for an enlarged copy.

Reunion photos Reunion photos Reunion photos Reunion photos