Elkhorn World War II veteran, 91, gets Bronze Star 50 years later
Photo
Ken Quinlan holds the Bronze Star her received from his service during World War II. He got the medal on Jan. 21, 2012, but he should have gotten it from President Kennedy in 1962.
ELKHORN — A 91-year-old World War II veteran gets a Kindle reader for Christmas, reads a book his daughter has loaded into it and learns he is a Bronze Star recipient.
That’s how Ken Quinlan, Elkhorn, found out 50 years had passed since the day the Army should have presented him with the medal. Sitting Friday in his daughter’s rural Elkhorn home where he lives with his wife, Laura, Quinlan talked about World War II, the Third Army, the Battle of the Bulge and his secret to a long life.
“It said in the book, ‘A Foot Soldier for Patton,’ that those of us in the 94th Infantry Division were to receive a Bronze Star,” Quinlan said. “President John Kennedy had learned about our unit and issued an executive order in 1962.”
The Bronze Star now resides next to the other medals Quinlan received for his heroic actions in battle. He carried and fired a bazooka as a member of the division’s anti-tank company.
Quinlan doesn’t dwell on his time in the European campaign. His unit fought in several famous campaigns including northern France, the Ardennes, the Rhineland and Central Europe.
“I didn’t care for the French and the German weather was lousy,” he said. “We lost a lot of good men. I was glad to go home.”
Helping Quinlan through the 18 months of battle were letters he received, usually two each week, from Laura, his fiancée at the time.
“I met her at The Storm Club in Chicago on D-Day, June 6, 1944. It was a joint on State Street north of the Loop,” he said. “She was in charge of the 26 dice game. I took one look at her, and that was that. My brother was with me, and he said I had better hurry up and marry her or he would.”
Quinlan was shipping out in two weeks.
“We saw each other twice after that before he went to war,” Laura said. “I went to the bus station with him thinking I would not see him again. But, we saw each other one more time when he went AWOL.”
Quinlan admits he wasn’t a model soldier.
“I had my moments,” he said. “I was a boxer with the CYO program as a kid. I got into a few scraps in the Army.”
Just before he shipped out from New York Harbor, Quinlan bought Laura a diamond ring and sent it to her. They would make it official a year and a half later.
“We were all proud to be associated with General George Patton,” Quinlan said. “He had a habit of showing up when things got tough.”
Quinlan recalled encountering a dangerous bridge crossing that was under enemy fire.
“We warned the general to stay off the bridge because the Germans would target him,” Quinlan said. “He showed us what he thought of the Germans and their river.”
Quinlan, in salty terms, then described how Patton, shall we say, christened the river.
Quinlan didn’t mind talking about the war during an interview at his residence, but he said he’d much rather talk about growing up on Chicago’s north side, his time in the Civilian Conservation Corps (he built a lot of fences in Highland) and Laura.
“I was a pick and ax man in the CCC,” he said. “I think they were just getting us ready for World War II.”
Ken and Laura married on Jan. 19, 1946. Laura said she had no problem waiting for him to return. He arrived in the U.S. on Christmas Eve, 1945, and was discharged New Year’s Eve. Ken and Laura were married three weeks later.
“He was a good-looking guy,” she said. “Besides, there weren’t that many guys around at the time. They were all in the Army.”
Sixty-six years later, Ken and Laura are going strong. Ken, who stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs in at a trim 150 pounds, bicycles in the summer and cross-country skis in the winter. He operates with a pacemaker and one kidney, but he looks much younger than his 91 years and said he feels much younger, too.
Laura, who said she is “a few years younger” than Ken, has had no major health issues and shares her husband’s youthful appearance.
She said she’s no expert on relationships, but she has a few ideas on how to help a marriage last.
“You have to be willing to compromise and apologize,” she said. “Ken and I are different in some ways, but we respect that.”
Ken had no interest in veteran organizations when he returned from the war.
“I drove truck for 50 years, and I am a proud Teamster,” he said. “They haven’t missed one retirement check.
“As for the VFW and all that, I never joined. I was having too much fun with Laura,” he said while glancing over at his wife.
Feb 1, 2012 at 8:33 a.m.
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kiow......, if I concede to your point that Patton was loved by his troops, can you comment on the fact that he physically assaulted two combat veterans, one of whom was suffering from malaria?
Feb 1, 2012 at 2:14 a.m.
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Joe:
That's would be an AWESOME show piece to have in the office, or where ever!!
Lot of history behind the crossing of the Rhine river that goes back to Julius Caesar. His lagoons built a bridge in the matter of a week (an unbelievable feat for the time) so Caesar could cross in to Germana, and send a message to the Barbarian tribes that "No barrier can stop Caesar!".
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Patton's "chastising" into the river was also followed up by taking handfuls of the newly conquered soil, and putting it into his pocket. Something he took from one of his military hero's; William the Conquer.
Jan 31, 2012 at 3:37 a.m.
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Awesome. I have in my office a good-sized (3' x 2') framed print of Patton crossing and "christening" the Rhine. Great to read a story about someone who was there!
Glad you have received your medal! Thanks for your service.
Jan 31, 2012 at 2:29 a.m.
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Direct quote from the Gazette story:
“We were all proud to be associated with General George Patton,” Quinlan said. “He had a habit of showing up when things got tough.”
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I have spoken to, and read accounts of many other WWII vets who served under Patton as well. ALL give very similar praise, and commendation. I'll take 1st hand accounts of a great man any day! Especially over what some whiny, disgruntled, PC do gooders, and writers say about a man that they never even met!
Jan 31, 2012 at 2:20 a.m.
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g-fan:
Yeah; just ask Mr Quinlin or those who actually served under the guy. Most every 1st hand account will tell you the same thing about the guy. Even the people who absolutely detested the guy would tell you they would rather have had no one else lead them into battle.
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Just because he was not politically correct like all these arm chair generals you see today, should not diminish what a brilliant military mind this guy was in every aspect one measures a great general in. For all the bad stories you and others can site, it cannot be denied that this guy was right on the front lines with his soldiers, and he got the absolute most out of his men. Not like these idiots of today we claim to be great military minds who sit behind some desk making decisions on how to rid the "evil doers" of the world, as we try to nation build one hell hole after another. Patton was really the last great field general the world has ever seen. His pure caner and straight forwardness perhaps did not appeal to you, or the PC Washington crowd. Nonetheless his was accomplishments, post war assessments speak for them self. He warned of the the Soviets being worse then the Nazi's were after we jointly toppled Hitler. Everyone thought he was just trying to start another war, but he was proven dead on, yet again, as the cold war soon became, and Stalin suppressed, and murdered millions more then did Hitler. IMO Patton was the best field general since Hannibal, the true standard bear of THEE greatest field general of all time.
Jan 30, 2012 at 2:12 p.m.
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Congrats to you Mr. Quinlan.
My dad passed away on Veterans day last year and he was a WWII AF Lt Col. Great guy who did a great service. Glad you got that medal!
Jan 30, 2012 at 9:21 a.m.
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kiow......., Patton cared about his soldiers?!!!
He physically assaulted a combat veteran suffering from malaria, but chose to give a drunken goof who ran a stop sign a pass.
Patton's "compassion" for the goof was a manipulation to diminish in the public eye the fact that he died an ignoble death.
Patton was not that well-liked by the troops.
Jan 30, 2012 at 12:52 a.m.
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AWESOME STORY!
Thank You Mr Quinlin, and all those still left of the "greatest generation ever" for your service to our country in WWII!!
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I love hearing 1st hand stories of Patton! Every account has him as a real ball buster who you'd go to hell and back with! The story that is very telling about him as a person was the car accident that resulted in his death. A young private was drunk, and ran a stop sign, and unbeknown to him, right into Patton's personal motor carrier. Patton knew his resulting injuries were likely terminal. When the MP's came to arrest the private who hit his carrier. Patton still had enough vigor in is injured state to talk to the MP's, and DEMANDED that they "LEAVE HIM ALONE. That it was simply an ACCIDENT, and they were not to peruse anything"; as he knew it would destroy the young soldiers life, if it came to life that he hit, and killed America's hero; Gen Patton. He looked out for all his men in every battle no matter what, and even did so in the face of his own death! One of the most remarkable generals in American history!
Jan 29, 2012 at 3:54 p.m.
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Thank you for your service, Mr. Quinlan!
Jan 29, 2012 at 12:39 p.m.
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A Teamster? Good God, I hope Walker doesn't get a hold of your retirement check! Great article and thanks for your service!
Jan 29, 2012 at 7:58 a.m.
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Good article.
Jan 29, 2012 at 6:07 a.m.
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True. The photog should have caught it.
Jan 28, 2012 at 11:42 p.m.
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Thank you for Your Service Ken ! and enjoy that Kindle .
Jan 28, 2012 at 10:56 p.m.
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I don't blame Mr. Quinlan for holding it upside down. It's inadvertent and being held in front so he can't see that it's that way.
The photographer however, should have caught it...or the photo editor.
Either way, thank you for your service Mr. Quinlan.
Jan 28, 2012 at 8:48 p.m.
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I agree.
Jan 28, 2012 at 6:36 p.m.
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IMO he's earned the right to hold the medal any way he wants.
Jan 28, 2012 at 5:01 p.m.
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This sentence in the story above erroneously implies that Mr. Quinlan was awarded his Bronze Star for a specific act of individual heroism:
"The Bronze Star now resides next to the other medals Quinlan received for his heroic actions in battle."
Only the Bronze Star with the V (for Valor) device is awarded for a specific act of individual heroism. Therefore, Mr. Quinlan's Bronze Star was awarded for meritorious service.
And for anyone confused by the photo: Mr. Quinlan is holding the medal upside down.
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