BENTON HARBOR – Joseph T. "Ted" Kella, 61, of New Carlisle, IN, formerly of Benton Harbor, passed away on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in South Bend. Ted was born on April 17, 1946, in Dayton, OH, to Joseph and Beatrice (Haskins) Kella.
He graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1964 and received an Associates Degree in Journalism from Southwestern Michigan College. He proudly served his country as a sharpshooter in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He served in the 124th signal group, 4th division.
On December 27, 1995, he married the former Elizabeth "Betty" Wyatt in South Bend. He worked for Schneider National as a truck driver for the past 15 years. He was member of the American Legion Post in New Carlisle, IN.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Kella of New Carlisle, IN; his parents, Joseph and Beatrice Kella of Benton Harbor; his children, Theadora "Teddi" (Albert) Kella-Fuller of Niles, Pauline "Reeni" (Larry) Hyatt of Dowagiac, and Jerry Thompson of New Carlisle, IN; two brothers, Daniel (Nancy) Kella of Asheville, NC, and Matt Kella of Kalamazoo; a sister, Elizabeth "Liz" Kella of Uppsala, Sweden; three grandchildren, Tyler, Taylor, and Triston; and many special friends.
A service celebrating his life will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home in St. Joseph with Rev. Jim Stilwell officiating.
Cremation will take place following the service. Friends may visit with the family on Thursday beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to the Lung Cancer Alliance.
Many thanks to Jerry Cameron, my dad's best friend while he was in Vietnam, for sharing the following information with me about his service in Vietnam. They served in the 124th signal group, 4th division of the US Army. Ted and Jerry both did their basic training together at Fort Lewis Washington. Then they were both transferred to the Signal Corp. They shipped out on the General John Pope at the port in Tacoma, WA. They were at sea for 23 days and sea sick most of the time.
They landed in a port city called Quinon. They unloaded their equipment and convoyed across country to set up a base camp near Pleiku called camp Dragon Mountain (later named camp Enari). When they arrived it was nothing but elephant grass prairie at the base of a mountain. Their security was a hole in the ground and some concertina wire. They ate C Rations and survived the best way they could until they could set up more permanent quarters. Ted and Jerry were side by side most of the time. They were both sent to other locations for short periods but for the most part they were together.
During their time over there they worked in their como rigs and went on numerous recon ambush patrols. They worked in the DETOC. (Division tactical command). This is where they ran the war from. They had exposure to much secure information. They both had secret clearances and were threatened with prison if they divulged any of this information.
He graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1964 and received an Associates Degree in Journalism from Southwestern Michigan College. He proudly served his country as a sharpshooter in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He served in the 124th signal group, 4th division.
On December 27, 1995, he married the former Elizabeth "Betty" Wyatt in South Bend. He worked for Schneider National as a truck driver for the past 15 years. He was member of the American Legion Post in New Carlisle, IN.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Kella of New Carlisle, IN; his parents, Joseph and Beatrice Kella of Benton Harbor; his children, Theadora "Teddi" (Albert) Kella-Fuller of Niles, Pauline "Reeni" (Larry) Hyatt of Dowagiac, and Jerry Thompson of New Carlisle, IN; two brothers, Daniel (Nancy) Kella of Asheville, NC, and Matt Kella of Kalamazoo; a sister, Elizabeth "Liz" Kella of Uppsala, Sweden; three grandchildren, Tyler, Taylor, and Triston; and many special friends.
A service celebrating his life will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home in St. Joseph with Rev. Jim Stilwell officiating.
Cremation will take place following the service. Friends may visit with the family on Thursday beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to the Lung Cancer Alliance.
Many thanks to Jerry Cameron, my dad's best friend while he was in Vietnam, for sharing the following information with me about his service in Vietnam. They served in the 124th signal group, 4th division of the US Army. Ted and Jerry both did their basic training together at Fort Lewis Washington. Then they were both transferred to the Signal Corp. They shipped out on the General John Pope at the port in Tacoma, WA. They were at sea for 23 days and sea sick most of the time.
They landed in a port city called Quinon. They unloaded their equipment and convoyed across country to set up a base camp near Pleiku called camp Dragon Mountain (later named camp Enari). When they arrived it was nothing but elephant grass prairie at the base of a mountain. Their security was a hole in the ground and some concertina wire. They ate C Rations and survived the best way they could until they could set up more permanent quarters. Ted and Jerry were side by side most of the time. They were both sent to other locations for short periods but for the most part they were together.
During their time over there they worked in their como rigs and went on numerous recon ambush patrols. They worked in the DETOC. (Division tactical command). This is where they ran the war from. They had exposure to much secure information. They both had secret clearances and were threatened with prison if they divulged any of this information.
BENTON HARBOR – Joseph T. "Ted" Kella, 61, of New Carlisle, IN, formerly of Benton Harbor, passed away on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in South Bend. Ted was born on April 17, 1946, in Dayton, OH, to Joseph and Beatrice (Haskins) Kella.
He graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1964 and received an Associates Degree in Journalism from Southwestern Michigan College. He proudly served his country as a sharpshooter in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He served in the 124th signal group, 4th division.
On December 27, 1995, he married the former Elizabeth "Betty" Wyatt in South Bend. He worked for Schneider National as a truck driver for the past 15 years. He was member of the American Legion Post in New Carlisle, IN.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Kella of New Carlisle, IN; his parents, Joseph and Beatrice Kella of Benton Harbor; his children, Theadora "Teddi" (Albert) Kella-Fuller of Niles, Pauline "Reeni" (Larry) Hyatt of Dowagiac, and Jerry Thompson of New Carlisle, IN; two brothers, Daniel (Nancy) Kella of Asheville, NC, and Matt Kella of Kalamazoo; a sister, Elizabeth "Liz" Kella of Uppsala, Sweden; three grandchildren, Tyler, Taylor, and Triston; and many special friends.
A service celebrating his life will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home in St. Joseph with Rev. Jim Stilwell officiating.
Cremation will take place following the service. Friends may visit with the family on Thursday beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to the Lung Cancer Alliance.
Many thanks to Jerry Cameron, my dad's best friend while he was in Vietnam, for sharing the following information with me about his service in Vietnam. They served in the 124th signal group, 4th division of the US Army. Ted and Jerry both did their basic training together at Fort Lewis Washington. Then they were both transferred to the Signal Corp. They shipped out on the General John Pope at the port in Tacoma, WA. They were at sea for 23 days and sea sick most of the time.
They landed in a port city called Quinon. They unloaded their equipment and convoyed across country to set up a base camp near Pleiku called camp Dragon Mountain (later named camp Enari). When they arrived it was nothing but elephant grass prairie at the base of a mountain. Their security was a hole in the ground and some concertina wire. They ate C Rations and survived the best way they could until they could set up more permanent quarters. Ted and Jerry were side by side most of the time. They were both sent to other locations for short periods but for the most part they were together.
During their time over there they worked in their como rigs and went on numerous recon ambush patrols. They worked in the DETOC. (Division tactical command). This is where they ran the war from. They had exposure to much secure information. They both had secret clearances and were threatened with prison if they divulged any of this information.
He graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1964 and received an Associates Degree in Journalism from Southwestern Michigan College. He proudly served his country as a sharpshooter in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He served in the 124th signal group, 4th division.
On December 27, 1995, he married the former Elizabeth "Betty" Wyatt in South Bend. He worked for Schneider National as a truck driver for the past 15 years. He was member of the American Legion Post in New Carlisle, IN.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Kella of New Carlisle, IN; his parents, Joseph and Beatrice Kella of Benton Harbor; his children, Theadora "Teddi" (Albert) Kella-Fuller of Niles, Pauline "Reeni" (Larry) Hyatt of Dowagiac, and Jerry Thompson of New Carlisle, IN; two brothers, Daniel (Nancy) Kella of Asheville, NC, and Matt Kella of Kalamazoo; a sister, Elizabeth "Liz" Kella of Uppsala, Sweden; three grandchildren, Tyler, Taylor, and Triston; and many special friends.
A service celebrating his life will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home in St. Joseph with Rev. Jim Stilwell officiating.
Cremation will take place following the service. Friends may visit with the family on Thursday beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to the Lung Cancer Alliance.
Many thanks to Jerry Cameron, my dad's best friend while he was in Vietnam, for sharing the following information with me about his service in Vietnam. They served in the 124th signal group, 4th division of the US Army. Ted and Jerry both did their basic training together at Fort Lewis Washington. Then they were both transferred to the Signal Corp. They shipped out on the General John Pope at the port in Tacoma, WA. They were at sea for 23 days and sea sick most of the time.
They landed in a port city called Quinon. They unloaded their equipment and convoyed across country to set up a base camp near Pleiku called camp Dragon Mountain (later named camp Enari). When they arrived it was nothing but elephant grass prairie at the base of a mountain. Their security was a hole in the ground and some concertina wire. They ate C Rations and survived the best way they could until they could set up more permanent quarters. Ted and Jerry were side by side most of the time. They were both sent to other locations for short periods but for the most part they were together.
During their time over there they worked in their como rigs and went on numerous recon ambush patrols. They worked in the DETOC. (Division tactical command). This is where they ran the war from. They had exposure to much secure information. They both had secret clearances and were threatened with prison if they divulged any of this information.
Inscription
CPL US ARMY
VIETNAM
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
