Rev. Joseph P. Kenny

JOSEPH P. KENNY

Rev. Joseph Kenny;
taught at Salesianum,
parachuted in WWII

PHILADELPHIA - The Rev. Joseph P. "Jump" Kenny, a former member of the Salesianum School faculty, died Tuesday in the religious community house of Father Judge High School here. He was 69. Rev. Kenny, nicknamed "Jump" by his students for his parachute experiences with the Army during World War II, taught at Salesianum from 1956 until a stroke forced him to curtail teaching about six years ago.
   He parachuted behind enemy lines during the war with the 82nd Airborne Division in the European Theater of Operations. Commissioned July 15, 1941, Father Kenny was assigned to the First Pursuit Group. He trained with this group and saw action in England, and Africa until he was transferred to the Troop Carrier Command in August 1943.
   He flew with the Troop Carrier Command on missions, dropping supplies over Sicily and Italy until 1944, when he was assigned to a bomber wing in England. Less than a month later, he secured a transfer to the parachute infantry.
   He completed paratroop training in England in time to jump with the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Division in Normandy on D-Day. His unit also joined in the airborne invasion of Holland. He participated in the Battle of the Bulge, going in with the paratroopers to help wounded men and administer the last sacraments to dying soldiers.

   Father Kenny received the French and Belgian Fourragére decoration, the Dutch Lanyard and the Bronze Star with cluster.
   After the war, he was in the Far East with the 11th Airborne Division, and he was later assigned to duty in Europe. In 1951, Rev. Kenny rejoined the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
   Rev. Kenny celebrated his first solemn high Mass June 28, 1936, at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church, in Wilmington, his home parish. He had entered the novitiate of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales in 1929 and was ordained to the priesthood June 11, 1936, by the Most Rev. Edmond J. Fitz-Maurice, bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington, at St. Peter's Cathedral.
   Rev. Kenny was a 1929 graduate of Salesianum and a graduate of Catholic University in Washington, DC.
   In addition to teaching at Salesianum, Rev. Kenny served on the faculties of Northeast Catholic and Father Judge high schools in Philadelphia. While at Salesianum, he was track coach.
   Vespers will be tomorrow afternoon at 5 at the Chapel of the Father Judge Faculty Residence, 3301 Solly Ave., Philadelphia. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered Saturday morning at 11 at the Church of St. Dominic, 8502 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia. Burial will be in the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales Cemetery, Childs, Md.

[The News Journal, 28 Feb 1980, Thu, Main Edition, Page 51]

Grave marker for Rev. Joseph P. Kenny in Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales Cemetery, Childs (Cecil county), Maryland.

Joseph, already an ordained Catholic priest, registered for the draft ca. 1940.

Father Kenny was commissioned in the U.S. Army on 16 July 1941. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 27 September 1942.

Captain Kenny was transferred from the Ninth Air Force to Hq Hq, 508th PIR on 15 August 1944.

On 21 January 1950, Father Kenny submitted this Pennsylvania WWII Veterans Bonus application. He was credited with a total of 50 months service, domestic and foreign, and awarded the full $500 bonus.

Father Kenny was discharged on 5 December 1954.