Decorated veterans will share experiences Saturday at The Barn
Purple Heart recipient Wallace “Wally” King, who only recently celebrated his 100th birthday, will share his World War II experiences.
Brian Kennedy, a decorated combat leader and gunship helicopter flight leader who has flown more than 220 missions, will be a featured guest Saturday at The Barn.
WWII veteran Wally King poses atop a plane.
"We are Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 — The “Gunrunners” Photo was taken 30 minutes before the invasion of Iraq began when Iraqi artillery started firing on Marine ground forces breaching the minefield separating Kuwait from Iraq. Brian Kennedy is near the top of the helicopter to the left near the cockpit.
Purple Heart recipient Wallace “Wally” King, who only recently celebrated his 100th birthday, will share his World War II experiences.
Brian Kennedy, a decorated combat leader and gunship helicopter flight leader who has flown more than 220 missions, will be a featured guest Saturday at The Barn.
WWII veteran Wally King poses atop a plane.
"We are Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269 — The “Gunrunners” Photo was taken 30 minutes before the invasion of Iraq began when Iraqi artillery started firing on Marine ground forces breaching the minefield separating Kuwait from Iraq. Brian Kennedy is near the top of the helicopter to the left near the cockpit.
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COLUMBIANA -- Two veterans with combat experience more than six decades apart will be in the city to talk about their experiences this Veterans Day.
Purple Heart recipient Wallace "Wally" King, who only recently celebrated his 100th birthday, will share his World War II experiences alongside Brian Kennedy, a decorated combat leader and gunship helicopter flight leader who has flown more than 220 missions.
The two men have local ties to the area, with Kennedy currently living in Austintown and King a former Salem resident.
King and Kennedy are the featured speakers for a Veterans Day Brunch event at The Barn at Firestone Farms that will raise money for Veterans' Outreach.
The reservation only event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 11 and is $15 per person with veterans admitted free.
"We have a really unusual opportunity because there are very few WWII veterans left," Tom Mackall, owner of East Fairfield Stone Co. said.
"I think it is so important what these two of our heroes are going to talk about, discussing their experiences of the war. I think it will be enlightening to everybody," he added.
Mackall's company is sponsoring the event and covering the cost of each attending veterans meal.
Mackall also personally knows King and Kennedy and said each of their experiences are unique, and that despite the length of time between their service, there are similarities.
For example, both men supported ground troops.
According to each of their biographical profiles, King joined the Army Air Corp. in late 1942, just one year after graduating high school.
By 1944 he had joined a fighter group in Le Mans, France, flying a P-47 Thunderbolt airplane on numerous missions and supported ground troops as they advanced toward Paris, resulting in liberation on Aug. 29, 1944.
While advancing toward Berlin in April of the following year, King's plane was struck and he was forced to bail out near the Elb River.
Suffering a broken ankle and burns from his plane catching fire, he was taken as a prisoner of war but was able to escape in the chaos that ensued after Adolf Hitler's death on April 30.
He was able to return to his hometown of Cortland on his birthday, Oct. 31, in 1945.
Once back home he attended Youngstown College, got married and had children and worked as an accountant.
He retired as a partner from Hill, Barth and King of Youngstown in 1984.
Brian Kennedy was raised in Youngstown and graduated from Poland Seminary High School. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Ohio State University and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in 1989.
He is president of the Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission.
During his time in the military, he served as a Marine AH-1W cobra gunship helicopter flight leader both aboard ship and on shore in more than five different countries and the Middle East, in addition to numerous locations in the United States.
In 2003 and 2005 he provided close air support to both United States and British Marines and soldiers and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with combat distinguishing device for Valor.
In April of 2016 he was inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor.
He is a former helicopter squadron commander and Chief Operations Officer and holds a master's degree in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College.
Kennedy achieved the rank of Colonel before retiring in October 2014 with 25 years of service.
He is married with four children.
To make reservations for the Veterans Day Brunch visit firestone-farms.square.site online or call Carrie at 330-549-2165, option 7.