EUGENE WILKINS
Eugene Wilkins 60 of 4335 Garfield Ave Kansas City, Kan. died Wednesday at Veterans Hospital He was born in Hymera,
Ind. and had lived in this area 13 years Mr. Wilkins was an Army veteran of World War II and was a member of the First Special Service Force Association.
He leaves a son Thom J Wilkins, Kansas City Kan. two brothers Ed Wilkins, Pimento, Ind. and William Wilkins, Wendover, Utah; two sisters,
Mrs. Elizabeth Myndell, Indianapolis and Mrs. Martha Kennard, Terre Haute, Ind.
and three grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Monday at the Fulton-Nickel Chapel and at 1:30 pm, Sunday at National Cemetery, Fort Leavenworth. Friends may call from 1 to 5 pm Sunday at the chapel. The family suggests contributions to the Glory Barn Christian Youth Center
[The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, MO, 17 Apr 1982, Sat, Page 56] |
Grave marker for Eugene Wilkins in Section 44, Row 16,
Site 46, Leavenworth National Cemetery, Leavenworth (Leavenworth
county), Kansas.
Eugene registered for the draft in Beverly Hills, CA on 14 February 1942
and enlisted in the Army at Los Angeles, CA; on 19 August 1942.
In June 1944, Wilkins (rank unknown) was admitted to a field hospital
for the removal of foreign bodies, classed as artillery shell, fragments
from his extremities. He was returned to duty in August 1944.
He was hospitalized in January 1945 for treatment of apparent frostbite
(records state "cold injury, feet.")
He was returned to duty that same month and on 16 January 1945 Sgt
Wilkins was transferred from the 92nd Replacement Battalion to Hq 2nd,
508th PIR.
 While 508th records have no indication of his service prior to
his arrival in 1945, Eugene and the entire First Special Service Force
were collectively awarded a Congressional Gold Medal on 12 July 2013 in recognition of its superior service during World War II.
The medal was specially designed to reflect the unit's actions.
The 1st Special Service Force was an elite American–Canadian commando unit in World War II, under the command of the United States Fifth Army. The unit was organized in 1942 and trained at Fort William Henry Harrison near Helena, Montana in the United States. The Force served in the Aleutian Islands, and fought in Italy, and southern France before being disbanded in December 1944.
Eugene's military decorations include the Purple Heart |
