Their Story

Edward Alfred Kinney was born to Matthew and May Kinney on March 6, 1928, in Toulon, Illinois. He had three sisters, two older and one younger: Jean, Esther, and Nadine. The family lived near Kewanee, Illinois, in the country and farmed.1 His father Matthew was also an employee of the county they lived in.2
When he turned 18 years old, he enlisted in the United States Army, in 1946.3 He served as an infantry soldier with the rank of Private First Class. He served in the 38th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division. The 38th Infantry Regiment is a long-standing unit of soldiers who have served from 1866 to present on a great number of missions and campaigns, from domestic security to the Korean War to the recent wars in the Middle East.4
Kinney was deployed to North Korea but was injured in the line of duty on October 9, 1951.5 Luckily, he was able to return to duty a little over a month later and in November of 1951, he was then stationed in Japan.
Not much else is known about Edward Kinney. He died on April 27, 2012, and was interned on May 4, 2012, in Rock Island.6 It is unknown if he had a family after he served in the military. It is also unknown where he was employed after his service. Nevertheless, he was awarded the Purple Heart, an honor that will last for eternity, forever remembering the sacrifice that Kinney gave for his country and his people.7
References
1 1940 United States Federal Census – Ancestry.com
2 Matthew H Kinney – Facts (ancestry.com); U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current – Ancestry.com
3 U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 – Ancestry.com
4 38th Infantry Regiment (society3rdid.org)
5 EDWARD A KINNEY in Korean War Casualties – Fold3; EDWARD A KINNEY: PERSON, pictures and information – Fold3.com; US Army Casualty Lists (koreanwaronline.com)
6 U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current – Ancestry.com