Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until November 18, 1944, 1 year and 1 day after he went missing as was the custom.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rene served as a Ship's Cook Third Class, U.S.S. McKean (DD-90), U.S. Navy during World War II.
He resided in Alabama prior to the war.
The McKean, along with 185 Marines set to be disembarked on Bougainville Island, was attacked near Empress Augusta Bay by Japanese pilot SFPO Gintaro Kobayashi who was in a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" torpedo plane.
One of Kobayashi's torpedo's struck the ship rupturing her fuel tanks and causing the McKean to sink with a loss of 64 of her crew and 52 of her embarked Marine troops.
Rene was declared "Missing In Action" in this sinking.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # 2724339
The McKean received four battle stars for World War II service & also received the Navy Unit Commendation award.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rene served as a Ship's Cook Third Class, U.S.S. McKean (DD-90), U.S. Navy during World War II.
He resided in Alabama prior to the war.
The McKean, along with 185 Marines set to be disembarked on Bougainville Island, was attacked near Empress Augusta Bay by Japanese pilot SFPO Gintaro Kobayashi who was in a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" torpedo plane.
One of Kobayashi's torpedo's struck the ship rupturing her fuel tanks and causing the McKean to sink with a loss of 64 of her crew and 52 of her embarked Marine troops.
Rene was declared "Missing In Action" in this sinking.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # 2724339
The McKean received four battle stars for World War II service & also received the Navy Unit Commendation award.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until November 18, 1944, 1 year and 1 day after he went missing as was the custom.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rene served as a Ship's Cook Third Class, U.S.S. McKean (DD-90), U.S. Navy during World War II.
He resided in Alabama prior to the war.
The McKean, along with 185 Marines set to be disembarked on Bougainville Island, was attacked near Empress Augusta Bay by Japanese pilot SFPO Gintaro Kobayashi who was in a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" torpedo plane.
One of Kobayashi's torpedo's struck the ship rupturing her fuel tanks and causing the McKean to sink with a loss of 64 of her crew and 52 of her embarked Marine troops.
Rene was declared "Missing In Action" in this sinking.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # 2724339
The McKean received four battle stars for World War II service & also received the Navy Unit Commendation award.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Rene served as a Ship's Cook Third Class, U.S.S. McKean (DD-90), U.S. Navy during World War II.
He resided in Alabama prior to the war.
The McKean, along with 185 Marines set to be disembarked on Bougainville Island, was attacked near Empress Augusta Bay by Japanese pilot SFPO Gintaro Kobayashi who was in a Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" torpedo plane.
One of Kobayashi's torpedo's struck the ship rupturing her fuel tanks and causing the McKean to sink with a loss of 64 of her crew and 52 of her embarked Marine troops.
Rene was declared "Missing In Action" in this sinking.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # 2724339
The McKean received four battle stars for World War II service & also received the Navy Unit Commendation award.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
