KENNETH EUGENE GRAFF was born in Farnam, Dawson, NE, the third child of four born to Harry A. and Floy Baker Graff. Harry August Graff married Floy Baker on 07 Aug 1913. Their other children were Elaine Loretta, Gerald Edwin and an infant son Graff who died young. Kenneth graduated from Cambridge HS, Cambridge, NE on 04 May 1939. After graduation Kenneth worked as a waiter for a short time before joining the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Co. 757, at Custer, Custer, South Dakota. He was discharged from the CCC prior to enlisting in the US Navy.

On 06 Jun 1940, Kenneth began his processing for a minority enlistment (under 21 yrs old) into the US Navy at the Hastings, NE recruiting office. After he completed the enlistment processing, including obtaining on 14 Jun 1940 his father's permission to enlist, Graff was sworn in to the naval service for a period of six years on 26 Jun 1940 in Omaha, NE (NSN:316-65-61) as an Apprentice Seaman (AS) in a group with 29 other navy recruits. Later that day the group boarded a train for the US Naval Training Station (NTS), Great Lakes, IL and 8 weeks of basic training. One of the other men who joined with Kenneth was Max A Calkins of Wymore, NE. He was killed in action during the Battle of Midway when the torpedo plane in which he was a gunner was shot down on by enemy Japanese fighters 04 Jun 1942. During recruit training, Graff was assigned to a leadership position as Petty Officer Third Class of Company 47-40 on 31 July 1940.

After AS Graff completed recruit training at Great Lakes he was detached on 17 Sep 1940. He took a short leave period to visit family before he was to report to the battleship USS Oklahoma (BB-37) on 20 Sep 1940 for duty. The Oklahoma was based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She had to return to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in early Feb 1941 to have anti-aircraft guns and armor added to her superstructure. In mid-August 1941 she was to have had armor replaced at San Pedro, CA. However, while enroute to San Pedro, the Oklahoma encountered a severe storm that caused significant damage to the ship. She sailed to the closest navy shipyard that had an adequate Dry-dock: San Francisco. She remained there until mid-Oct when she returned to Hawaii after repairs were completed. On 26 Oct 1940, Graff was advanced in rate to Seaman Second Class (S2c).

S2/c Graff was on board the Oklahoma during the surprise Japanese attack at Peal Harbor and escaped uninjured. Because he was a deck seaman rather than a fireman likely contributed to his surviving the attack. Many of the firemen (engineering) personnel were caught below decks when the ship capsized and were killed. Several days later on 09 Dec 1941, he received orders transferring him from the Oklahoma to the Light Cruiser, USS Helena (CL-50) that also sustained damage in the attack. His service record was lost when the Oklahoma was sunk.

Graff reported on board the Helena for duty on 24 Dec 1941. After a preliminary overhaul at Pearl Harbor, Helena returned to Mare Island, CA for permanent repair in early January 1942. On 01 Feb 1942 Graff was advanced in rate from S2c to Seaman First Class (S1c). On 6 July 1942, Graff, while still in Mare Island, CA, he failed to return to duty on time. He was deemed Absent Over Liberty (AOL) for 24 hours.

Back in action in the Pacific by September 1942, Helena participated in numerous actions in and around Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands. According to service record entries, Graff received accolades for superior performance of duty during a night surface engagement off Savo Island against Japanese surface ships on 11 Oct 1942, and another accolade for his performance of duty on another night surface action against the enemy on 13 Nov 1942. On 06 March 1943 Helena entered Sydney, Australia for an overhaul. It was during this time that her crew was granted shore leave for rest and relaxation (R/R). Helena remained in Sydney until 26 March 1943 (according to Helena War Diary entry) when, her overhaul completed, she got underway and returned to Espiritu Santo on 30 Mar 1943. A short time later Helena participated in bombardments of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands.

On 29 April 1943, S1/c Kenneth Eugene Graff, who, while on shore leave in Sydney, overstayed his authorized period of leave. He was convicted at a Summary Court Martial (SCM) for being Absent-Over-Leave (AOL) for 6 days, 20 hrs and 10 minutes. He was sentenced to confinement for 2 months, loss of $15.00 per month for 4 mos for a total loss of pay (TLP) $60.00 (at the time he was earning about $70.00 per month gross pay). The punishment was relatively minor considering that the offense occurred during wartime. The confinement was probably restriction to the ship. Given that Helena was at sea the majority of the time, the confinement was not really a punishment.

Several months later in the early hours of 6 July 1943, Helena engaged enemy ships in a night gun action off Kolombangara in the Kula Gulf north of New Georgia, when she was hit by three surface fired torpedoes. She sank a short time later with the loss of 168 sailors. One of them was S1/c Kenneth Eugene Graff. It is not known whether he went down with the ship or did not survive the ordeal in the water prior to rescue of the survivors. He was declared missing in action on 06 July 1943. The Navy Dept notified Mrs Graff via telegram dated 23 July 1943 that her son, S1c Kenneth Eugene Graff, was missing in action. Graff was presumed dead on 10 Aug 1945. His remains were unrecoverable.

S1/C Graff was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Navy Unit Commendation ribbon (first ship to receive this award), American Campaign Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Medal with 7 Battle Stars, and World War II Victory Medal. He was possibly eligible for the Navy Combat Action Ribbon.

The two pictures of him, one in early 1942 and the second about a year later show a marked aging in his face. That's what war does to those who are in it.

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USS Helena (CL-50) Navy Unit Commendation citation reads:

"For outstanding heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces afloat in the Solomon Islands - New Georgia Areas. Gallantly carrying the fight to the enemy, the USS HELENA opened the night Battle of Cape Esperance on 11-12 October 1942 boldly sending her fire into the force of enemy warships, sinking a hostile destroyer and holding to a minimum the damage to our destroyers in the rear of the Task Force. She engaged at close quarters a superior force of hostile combatant ships in the Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 12-13 November 1942, rallying our own forces after the Flag Ship had been disabled and contributing to the enemy's defeat. In her final engagement in the pre-dawn battle of 5-6 July 1943, the HELENA valiantly sailed down the restricted and submarine-infested waters of Kula Gulf under the terrific torpedo and gun fire of the enemy to bombard Kolombangara and New Georgia while covering the landing of our troops at Rice Anchorage, and twenty-four hours later, her blazing guns aided in the destruction of a vastly superior enemy naval force before she was fatally struck by Japanese torpedoes. Her brave record of combat achievement is evidence of the HELENA'S intrepidity and the heroic fighting spirit of her officers and men.

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Regarding the Combat Action Ribbon (CAR), see Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual online (SECNAVINST 1650.1H of Aug 22, 2006, chapter 8 - 831 para 3a (3)). It reads, "Personnel aboard a ship are eligible (for the CAR) when the safety of the ship and the crew was endangered by enemy attack, such as a ship hit by a mine or a ship engaged by shore, surface, air, or sub-surface elements." The eligibility is retroactive to 07 Dec 1941.

Bio sketch #23 compiled on 4 Jan 2018 by Gerry Lawton (G47)

Military Hall of Honor#139046

Find A Grave Memorial #129838773

photos provided by his granddaughter and used with permission.

Primary source: His service record obtained from the National Archives, St. Louis, MO