Draft record for Kenneth K. Hammond with hand-written annotation that he had enlisted in the (Army) Infantry on 8 October 1942.

His enlistment record in the National Archives agrees with this date and indicates that he joined the Army in Salt Lake City, UT.

On 22 October 1942, Pvt Hammond was transferred from the Reception Center, Fort Douglas, UT to Company B, 508th PIR.

On 5 January 1943 he was appointed to Private First Class and just 25 days later he was elevated to the grade of Corporal.  Then, on 12 April 1943, he was promoted to Sergeant.

According to an article in the Devil's Digest, Sgt Hammond was amongst those who departed Camp Mackall on 12 July 1943 for various, unnamed, schools.  Kenneth my have been bound for OCS and, if not, he ended up there eventually.

  1st Lt Kenneth K. Hammond was killed in a jeep when the vehicle was hit by a train in Fujimi, Japan.
  The accident occurred at about 1200 [hours] while he was returning from Shizuoka to the 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Division. He had been on official business.

Diagnosis:

Fractures: 1 compound, tibis and fibules, rt, complete. Compound, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 ribs, left, depressed. Fracture simple depressed, D11, D12, and L1. Wound, penetrating, inuinal, region, rt, with evisceration. Wound lacerated, scalp, rt, side. Wound, abraded, multiple, face, neck, body, extremities.

[From the Non-Battle Casualty Report, AFPAG Casualty Form B" dated November 20, 1945 ]

Grave marker for 1st Lt. Kenneth K. Hammond in Section 12, Site: 6951, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington (Arlington county), Virginia.

The military decorations earned by 1st Lt Kenneth Kay Hammond include: the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star, the Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.