Named after Ira Restine McKinney's brother John Grafton McKinney.
MISC: The Frankfort Morning Times, Sunday, May 13, 1945
Clinton County Coast Guardsman Tells of Okinawa Shima Landing
Aboard a coast guard manned LST off Okinawa Shima - Serving as
a pointer on the crew of a 40 m.m. anti-aircraft gun aboard this Coast
Guard-manned LST, one of the first ships to take part in the amphibious
landing operations on Okinawa Shima, was Coast Guardsman John J.
McKinney, Coxswain, son of Mrs. I.R. McKinney, Kelly Road, R.R. No. 3,
Frankfort, Indiana.
"We had expected a lot of action on L day, but when the day was over,
we hadn't even a bit. There were no planes in the sky, and outside of two
machine gun nests on the beach, we received no opposition," the Frankfort
Coast Guardsman declared. Assault troops swept inland several miles
before running into small groups of Jap snipers. The lack of serial resistance
the first four days was a puzzle. Either our landing so close to their homeland
took them by complete surprise, or else the terrific pre-invasion bombardment
and shelling drove them all into the hills, stated McKinney summing up the
Okinawa invasion.
A native of Frankfort, he enlisted in the Coast Guard on August 6, 1942,
soon after graduating from Frankfort High School. He received his boot training
at Alameda Training Station, Calif., and then transferred to the Pt. Arguelle, Calif.,
lifeboat station where he spent 19 months.
Prior to being assigned aboard this LST for duty in the Pacific, he had also served
four months at the Santa Catalina, Calif., patrol station, and the Coast Guard-Air
Station, San Diego, Calif.
OBIT: JOHN J. McKINNEY, 70, Frankfort, died at 11:30 a.m. April 8, 1995,
at his home following a six-month illness.
Mr. McKinney retired from the Frankfort Police Department in 1967, and
was owner/operator of BJ's Antiques. He was a member of Fraternal
Order of Police, Moose Lodge, Elks Lodge, Clinton Masonic Lodge, Murat
Shrine and LST 974 Service Group. A Frankfort High School graduate,
he was a cockswain in the U.S.Coast Guard during World War II, which
landed Marines on Okinawa on April 1, 1045.
He was born July 26, 1924, in Antioch, to Ira Restine and Edna E. Weaver
McKinney. He married Betty Jo Gumm on September 18, 1964, in
Monticello, and she survives.
He also is survived by a son, Jay of Bloomington; a daughter, Janice K.
McKinney of Indianapolis; a brother, William McKinney of Rossville; three
sisters, Esther McKinney and Helen Beth Conrad of Monticello; and
two grandchildren.
MISC: The Frankfort Morning Times, Sunday, May 13, 1945
Clinton County Coast Guardsman Tells of Okinawa Shima Landing
Aboard a coast guard manned LST off Okinawa Shima - Serving as
a pointer on the crew of a 40 m.m. anti-aircraft gun aboard this Coast
Guard-manned LST, one of the first ships to take part in the amphibious
landing operations on Okinawa Shima, was Coast Guardsman John J.
McKinney, Coxswain, son of Mrs. I.R. McKinney, Kelly Road, R.R. No. 3,
Frankfort, Indiana.
"We had expected a lot of action on L day, but when the day was over,
we hadn't even a bit. There were no planes in the sky, and outside of two
machine gun nests on the beach, we received no opposition," the Frankfort
Coast Guardsman declared. Assault troops swept inland several miles
before running into small groups of Jap snipers. The lack of serial resistance
the first four days was a puzzle. Either our landing so close to their homeland
took them by complete surprise, or else the terrific pre-invasion bombardment
and shelling drove them all into the hills, stated McKinney summing up the
Okinawa invasion.
A native of Frankfort, he enlisted in the Coast Guard on August 6, 1942,
soon after graduating from Frankfort High School. He received his boot training
at Alameda Training Station, Calif., and then transferred to the Pt. Arguelle, Calif.,
lifeboat station where he spent 19 months.
Prior to being assigned aboard this LST for duty in the Pacific, he had also served
four months at the Santa Catalina, Calif., patrol station, and the Coast Guard-Air
Station, San Diego, Calif.
OBIT: JOHN J. McKINNEY, 70, Frankfort, died at 11:30 a.m. April 8, 1995,
at his home following a six-month illness.
Mr. McKinney retired from the Frankfort Police Department in 1967, and
was owner/operator of BJ's Antiques. He was a member of Fraternal
Order of Police, Moose Lodge, Elks Lodge, Clinton Masonic Lodge, Murat
Shrine and LST 974 Service Group. A Frankfort High School graduate,
he was a cockswain in the U.S.Coast Guard during World War II, which
landed Marines on Okinawa on April 1, 1045.
He was born July 26, 1924, in Antioch, to Ira Restine and Edna E. Weaver
McKinney. He married Betty Jo Gumm on September 18, 1964, in
Monticello, and she survives.
He also is survived by a son, Jay of Bloomington; a daughter, Janice K.
McKinney of Indianapolis; a brother, William McKinney of Rossville; three
sisters, Esther McKinney and Helen Beth Conrad of Monticello; and
two grandchildren.
Named after Ira Restine McKinney's brother John Grafton McKinney.
MISC: The Frankfort Morning Times, Sunday, May 13, 1945
Clinton County Coast Guardsman Tells of Okinawa Shima Landing
Aboard a coast guard manned LST off Okinawa Shima - Serving as
a pointer on the crew of a 40 m.m. anti-aircraft gun aboard this Coast
Guard-manned LST, one of the first ships to take part in the amphibious
landing operations on Okinawa Shima, was Coast Guardsman John J.
McKinney, Coxswain, son of Mrs. I.R. McKinney, Kelly Road, R.R. No. 3,
Frankfort, Indiana.
"We had expected a lot of action on L day, but when the day was over,
we hadn't even a bit. There were no planes in the sky, and outside of two
machine gun nests on the beach, we received no opposition," the Frankfort
Coast Guardsman declared. Assault troops swept inland several miles
before running into small groups of Jap snipers. The lack of serial resistance
the first four days was a puzzle. Either our landing so close to their homeland
took them by complete surprise, or else the terrific pre-invasion bombardment
and shelling drove them all into the hills, stated McKinney summing up the
Okinawa invasion.
A native of Frankfort, he enlisted in the Coast Guard on August 6, 1942,
soon after graduating from Frankfort High School. He received his boot training
at Alameda Training Station, Calif., and then transferred to the Pt. Arguelle, Calif.,
lifeboat station where he spent 19 months.
Prior to being assigned aboard this LST for duty in the Pacific, he had also served
four months at the Santa Catalina, Calif., patrol station, and the Coast Guard-Air
Station, San Diego, Calif.
OBIT: JOHN J. McKINNEY, 70, Frankfort, died at 11:30 a.m. April 8, 1995,
at his home following a six-month illness.
Mr. McKinney retired from the Frankfort Police Department in 1967, and
was owner/operator of BJ's Antiques. He was a member of Fraternal
Order of Police, Moose Lodge, Elks Lodge, Clinton Masonic Lodge, Murat
Shrine and LST 974 Service Group. A Frankfort High School graduate,
he was a cockswain in the U.S.Coast Guard during World War II, which
landed Marines on Okinawa on April 1, 1045.
He was born July 26, 1924, in Antioch, to Ira Restine and Edna E. Weaver
McKinney. He married Betty Jo Gumm on September 18, 1964, in
Monticello, and she survives.
He also is survived by a son, Jay of Bloomington; a daughter, Janice K.
McKinney of Indianapolis; a brother, William McKinney of Rossville; three
sisters, Esther McKinney and Helen Beth Conrad of Monticello; and
two grandchildren.
MISC: The Frankfort Morning Times, Sunday, May 13, 1945
Clinton County Coast Guardsman Tells of Okinawa Shima Landing
Aboard a coast guard manned LST off Okinawa Shima - Serving as
a pointer on the crew of a 40 m.m. anti-aircraft gun aboard this Coast
Guard-manned LST, one of the first ships to take part in the amphibious
landing operations on Okinawa Shima, was Coast Guardsman John J.
McKinney, Coxswain, son of Mrs. I.R. McKinney, Kelly Road, R.R. No. 3,
Frankfort, Indiana.
"We had expected a lot of action on L day, but when the day was over,
we hadn't even a bit. There were no planes in the sky, and outside of two
machine gun nests on the beach, we received no opposition," the Frankfort
Coast Guardsman declared. Assault troops swept inland several miles
before running into small groups of Jap snipers. The lack of serial resistance
the first four days was a puzzle. Either our landing so close to their homeland
took them by complete surprise, or else the terrific pre-invasion bombardment
and shelling drove them all into the hills, stated McKinney summing up the
Okinawa invasion.
A native of Frankfort, he enlisted in the Coast Guard on August 6, 1942,
soon after graduating from Frankfort High School. He received his boot training
at Alameda Training Station, Calif., and then transferred to the Pt. Arguelle, Calif.,
lifeboat station where he spent 19 months.
Prior to being assigned aboard this LST for duty in the Pacific, he had also served
four months at the Santa Catalina, Calif., patrol station, and the Coast Guard-Air
Station, San Diego, Calif.
OBIT: JOHN J. McKINNEY, 70, Frankfort, died at 11:30 a.m. April 8, 1995,
at his home following a six-month illness.
Mr. McKinney retired from the Frankfort Police Department in 1967, and
was owner/operator of BJ's Antiques. He was a member of Fraternal
Order of Police, Moose Lodge, Elks Lodge, Clinton Masonic Lodge, Murat
Shrine and LST 974 Service Group. A Frankfort High School graduate,
he was a cockswain in the U.S.Coast Guard during World War II, which
landed Marines on Okinawa on April 1, 1045.
He was born July 26, 1924, in Antioch, to Ira Restine and Edna E. Weaver
McKinney. He married Betty Jo Gumm on September 18, 1964, in
Monticello, and she survives.
He also is survived by a son, Jay of Bloomington; a daughter, Janice K.
McKinney of Indianapolis; a brother, William McKinney of Rossville; three
sisters, Esther McKinney and Helen Beth Conrad of Monticello; and
two grandchildren.
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