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Warren Kimmel: From boy to man
The Horsham veteran of the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II shares his legacy with students.
By Bob Staranowicz
BucksLocalNews.com correspondent
The China-Burma-India Theater (CBI), often referred to as The Forgotten Theater of World War II, was the longest combat operation of the War from early 1942 until March of 1946. Of the more than 12 million who served in World War II, only about 250, 000 - about 2 percent - were assigned to the CBI Theater. One of those CBI Veterans is Warren Kimmel.
Warren was born in Philadelphia in 1924. After attending Dobbins Vocational School, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942. The US Army Air Corps formally existed between 1941 and 1947 as an autonomous part of the US Army. It was then off to basic training in Atlantic City, NJ where he contracted pleurisy and lost a week of training. After basic training, he attended Stewart Technical School in New York, to be trained as an aircraft mechanic. Once his classes were finished, Warren returned to NJ for additional overseas training.
After training, Warren received orders for overseas duty. His first assignment was at Chabua in the Assam Valley in India. Warren arrived in India at the height of monsoon season. He was later sent to Karachi serving as a flight engineer and crew chief for C-46 and C-47 aircraft. The main objective of the troops in India was to supply and support the 14th Air Force and China by providing the war materials and manpower to get it to where it was needed. Army Air Forces flew supplies “Over the Hump” from India to China. Towards the end of the war, up to 80, 000 tons of supplies, including troops, cargo and animals such as mules were sent monthly to China. It was the goal of CBI to keep Japan out of India and to keep China in the war as an ally.
When Warren arrived in India, 25 of the 28 assigned aircraft were in the “bone yard” i.e., not fit for service. With the ingenuity of his fellow soldiers, all 28 of the aircraft were deemed serviceable after only a few months. This was done by attaining scrap parts from every available source.
Warren earned his Wings with over 800 hours in the air, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. He returned to the States in 1945 after the announcement of Japan’s surrender. He was awarded a Victory Medal, an Asiatic Pacific Medal with battle star, and a Presidential Unit Citation medal.
Warren shared many of his other interesting life experiences with me. While training in N.Y., he was at the Stage Door Canteen one evening and got to dance with Shirley Booth who was performing in “My Sister Eileen.” Warren also met his future wife, Kathleen, while training in N.Y. The highlight of his service was the education that he received and that he was able to see parts of the world that he would never have traveled to if not for the service. “My time in the service made a man out of a boy.”
Not all times were good times though. When I asked Warren what it was like when he returned to the states via Miami, he told me that there was no one at the airport to meet his unit and someone had to call the closest base so that the returning soldiers could be picked up. He also shared with me the most uneasy part of his tour, being the time when he was alone in the jungle guarding his plane with Japanese all around the area. “It was the longest night of my life,” he told me.
Being away from home is always difficult on those who serve and Warren spent over two years in India. Warren damaged his hand in India and while in the hospital came down with malaria and lost 40 pounds in two weeks. He did share with me that he was fortunate to have the most dedicated and hard-working nurses administering to him during his hospital stay.
Warren returned to the states in 1945 and married the woman he met in NY. He and Kathleen were married for 59 years before she passed away in October of 2004.
Warren currently lives in Horsham, and is a member of VFW Post 175 and the CBI Veterans Association. He has three sons - Brian, Warren and Scott - all who have served their country, two in the Navy and one in the Air Force. Brian served two tours in Vietnam and was on the USS Forrestal in July of 1967 when it was attacked leaving 132 crewmen dead, 62 injured and two missing and presumed dead.
The spirit of all the military forces that served in the CBI Theater could not be found in any other World War II area.
Warren has demonstrated that spirit with his service.
Warren continues service to his country by speaking at various schools in Bucks and Montgomery County through the “Vets in the Class Room” program and at the Abington and Doylestown Libraries through the “WW II Lecture Series” on the CBI topic. It would be well worth your while to attend one of his sessions.
By Bob Staranowicz
BucksLocalNews.com correspondent
The China-Burma-India Theater (CBI), often referred to as The Forgotten Theater of World War II, was the longest combat operation of the War from early 1942 until March of 1946. Of the more than 12 million who served in World War II, only about 250, 000 - about 2 percent - were assigned to the CBI Theater. One of those CBI Veterans is Warren Kimmel.
Warren was born in Philadelphia in 1924. After attending Dobbins Vocational School, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942. The US Army Air Corps formally existed between 1941 and 1947 as an autonomous part of the US Army. It was then off to basic training in Atlantic City, NJ where he contracted pleurisy and lost a week of training. After basic training, he attended Stewart Technical School in New York, to be trained as an aircraft mechanic. Once his classes were finished, Warren returned to NJ for additional overseas training.
After training, Warren received orders for overseas duty. His first assignment was at Chabua in the Assam Valley in India. Warren arrived in India at the height of monsoon season. He was later sent to Karachi serving as a flight engineer and crew chief for C-46 and C-47 aircraft. The main objective of the troops in India was to supply and support the 14th Air Force and China by providing the war materials and manpower to get it to where it was needed. Army Air Forces flew supplies “Over the Hump” from India to China. Towards the end of the war, up to 80, 000 tons of supplies, including troops, cargo and animals such as mules were sent monthly to China. It was the goal of CBI to keep Japan out of India and to keep China in the war as an ally.
When Warren arrived in India, 25 of the 28 assigned aircraft were in the “bone yard” i.e., not fit for service. With the ingenuity of his fellow soldiers, all 28 of the aircraft were deemed serviceable after only a few months. This was done by attaining scrap parts from every available source.
Warren earned his Wings with over 800 hours in the air, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. He returned to the States in 1945 after the announcement of Japan’s surrender. He was awarded a Victory Medal, an Asiatic Pacific Medal with battle star, and a Presidential Unit Citation medal.
Warren shared many of his other interesting life experiences with me. While training in N.Y., he was at the Stage Door Canteen one evening and got to dance with Shirley Booth who was performing in “My Sister Eileen.” Warren also met his future wife, Kathleen, while training in N.Y. The highlight of his service was the education that he received and that he was able to see parts of the world that he would never have traveled to if not for the service. “My time in the service made a man out of a boy.”
Not all times were good times though. When I asked Warren what it was like when he returned to the states via Miami, he told me that there was no one at the airport to meet his unit and someone had to call the closest base so that the returning soldiers could be picked up. He also shared with me the most uneasy part of his tour, being the time when he was alone in the jungle guarding his plane with Japanese all around the area. “It was the longest night of my life,” he told me.
Being away from home is always difficult on those who serve and Warren spent over two years in India. Warren damaged his hand in India and while in the hospital came down with malaria and lost 40 pounds in two weeks. He did share with me that he was fortunate to have the most dedicated and hard-working nurses administering to him during his hospital stay.
Warren returned to the states in 1945 and married the woman he met in NY. He and Kathleen were married for 59 years before she passed away in October of 2004.
Warren currently lives in Horsham, and is a member of VFW Post 175 and the CBI Veterans Association. He has three sons - Brian, Warren and Scott - all who have served their country, two in the Navy and one in the Air Force. Brian served two tours in Vietnam and was on the USS Forrestal in July of 1967 when it was attacked leaving 132 crewmen dead, 62 injured and two missing and presumed dead.
The spirit of all the military forces that served in the CBI Theater could not be found in any other World War II area.
Warren has demonstrated that spirit with his service.
Warren continues service to his country by speaking at various schools in Bucks and Montgomery County through the “Vets in the Class Room” program and at the Abington and Doylestown Libraries through the “WW II Lecture Series” on the CBI topic. It would be well worth your while to attend one of his sessions.
Labels: Army, China-Burma-India Theater, Horsham, WWII
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