Dates

• Existence: 1893 - 1943

Biography

Wilbur D. Kennedy was born August 6, 1893 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Mary and James Kennedy. Wilbur D. Kennedy originally enlisted in the infantry on May 14, 1917 at Ft. Snelling, Minnesota. He was sent to aviation ground school at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and graduated in August. Kennedy was assigned to the 12th Aero Squadron of the Signal Reserve Corps Aviation Section as a 1st Lieutenant in late 1917 and shipped out to Europe shortly thereafter. The 12th Aero Squadron participated in the second battle of the Marne in July 1918. After the war, Kennedy remained in the area of the French and German border. He was commissioned a temporary captain in April 1919. Kennedy was sent home in June and honorably discharged, still a captain, in July. After his return, Kennedy owned a women's clothing store in Champaign, Illinois. He died November 27, 1943.

Found in 1 Collection or Record: