Kenneth J. Epping World War II Collection
This collection houses the Bronze Star that Kenneth J. Epping earned during World War II and copies of the VFW edition of a four-volume set entitled Pictorial History of the Second World War.
Dates
- circa 1939-1947
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection houses the Bronze Star that Kenneth J. Epping earned during World War II and copies of the VFW edition of a four-volume set entitled Pictorial History of the Second World War.
Biographical/Historical Note
Kenneth Joseph Epping was born to Daniel Hiram and Amelia Epping on July 24, 1922. After graduating High School in 1939, Epping joined the U. S. Navy as part of a government program called the Kitty Cruise, which allowed high school graduates to enlist at seventeen instead of eighteen. Epping was sent to the Pacific Theater, where he and four other Iowa enlistees were captured by the Japanese during the Battle of Corregidor. He spent forty-two months as a P. O. W., where he worked in coal mines and was fed only a handful of rice each day. He also removed a fist-sized impetigo cyst from his thigh with a sharp object in order to prevent infection and death, leaving a noteworthy scar. When he was liberated, Epping (the only Iowa survivor) stood 6'3" but weighed only 90 pounds. He was later awarded a Bronze Star for his service.
After the war, Epping served an additional 16 years in the Navy and retired at the age of 37. He worked for the County in Overland Park, Kansas, for the reminder of his life. Epping died on April 13, 1987 at the age of 65 and is buried in the National Cemetery in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Arrangement
This collection consists of five items in a single box.
Acquisition Note
Rita Jenels donated this collection to the University of Tennessee Libraries, Knoxville, Special Collections in March of 2004.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository