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Y3c William Edmond Jr. Bennett
William Edmond Bennett Jr. was born on May 20, 1917, at Paducah, Kentucky, to W. E. Bennett Sr. and Zilpah Pool Bennett. The boy was nine when his mother died after a short illness.
The father remarried in about 1932. The family moved to Parma, Missouri, where Willliam Junior graduated from high school in 1936. The son also worked part-time at Parma Lumber Co. and served in the Missouri National Guard, Co. G of the 140th infantry.
He enlisted in the Navy on Feb. 9, 1937, earning $21 a month as an apprentice seaman. He served until Feb. 14, 1941, when he was honorably discharged. Four months later he re-enlisted, this time as a yeoman third class earning $60 a month. That’s the position he held on the U.S.S. Arizona when he was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
Sources: the Southern Illinoisan of Carbondale, Illinois; Kentucky birth record; Navy enlistment records and muster roll; Census; Missouri death certificate. This profile was researched and written on behalf of the U.S.S. Arizona Mall Memorial at the University of Arizona.
NOTE: If you are a family member related to this crew member of the U.S.S. Arizona, or have additional information, pictures or documents to share about his life or service to our county please contact us through our FAMILY MEMBER SUBMISSION FORM.