John C. McKinney

John was born 30 NOV 1921 in Washington State. Mary (M. T.) and Grace McKinney adopted him sometime in the 1930s. After graduating from John Rogers High School in Spokane, WA, he was employed as a messenger for a telegraph company. In June 1940, he joined the Washington National Guard and was assigned to the 116th Observation Squadron at Felts Field. September 1940 saw the squadron activated for federal duty.

October 1941 he left the National Guard and enlisted in the Army Air Corps at the rank of corporal. The date he joined the 118th is not known. He was with the squadron in India and China and most likely trained with it stateside.

John became ill while the squadron was in Kweilin, China in July 1944. He was admitted to the hospital in Kweilin with what was described as sinusitis and disease of the trachea and died there 12 July 1944. He was buried in the Cemetery for Americans in Kweilin, China.

His body was exhumed after the war and was brought back to the US on the USAT Honda Knot in October 1947. The USAT Honda Knot was the first ship to bring back the remains of those killed in the Pacific during WWII, carrying 3012 deceased service members for reburial in US cemeteries.