WWII vet's remarkable record uncovered

World War II soldier Albert J. Kidwell stormed the beaches of Normandy and endured the grueling Battle of the Bulge. But until recently, no one in Kidwell's family knew of his heroic past.

Kidwell died in 1991 and took his World War II stories with him. Two decades later, an innocent inquiry from Kidwell's great-grandson Collin Sullivan was the beginning of a grand family discovery, one that has led to his family receiving medals and decorations Kidwell earned and rightfully deserved.

Collin, 15, who lives in Lewes, said the revelation began one day when talking to his grandmother.

“She mentioned that he had been in World War II,” he said. “I just kind of asked if she had anything from him.”

She brought back a box with Kidwell's dog tags, a rifle expert badge and a laminated discharge form.

Collin's father, Will, had his grandfather's World War II belt buckle, and with those items the family had enough to begin digging into history.

Collin, a student at Sussex Academy, contacted family friend Frank McAroy, an Air Force veteran, who earlier had researched the military background of a relative. Together, they worked to unveil Kidwell's journey through World War II. Kidwell enlisted nine months after Pearl Harbor in September 1942, entering the military at Fort Meade near Baltimore.

McAroy said the belt buckle was key to unlocking the mystery. He said it showed Kidwell was a member of the 29th Infantry Division, which landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day June 6, 1944.

Kidwell survived the battle uninjured , and just a few months later, he again found himself in another of World War II's most famous campaigns, the Battle of the Bulge, a surprise German attack that resulted in the U.S. military's highest casualty total during World War II. Again, Kidwell walked away unharmed.

“The thing that strikes me as surprising is he had all this history with him but never mentioned a thing about it,” Will said. “He just said it was hell over there. That's the only thing he ever told my dad.”

According to the National World War II museum in New Orleans, veterans are dying at a rate of about 492 per day, with only about 855,000 veterans remaining of the 16 million who served during the Second World War.

McAroy says it's unfortunate many stories are lost when veterans die, but for those who are curious about their family member's past, he said, there are ways to find information. In helping the Sullivans, McAroy started with the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis.

Through their research, the group was able to discover a number of medals and decorations to which Kidwell was entitled. They worked to have those medals issued and have now collected them. Collin plans to create a shadow box to display his great-grandfather's accolades.

If not for Collin's inquisitive nature, the family may never have learned about one of its biggest heroes, Will said. With a big red beard, Collin looks older than his age. His father said he has an old soul to go with it.

“Collin has always had an interest in military history; he would read up, and he could tell you anything about history,” he said. “His fascination for it was the spark for asking my mom if she had anything. I never did. But he did.”

“Thank goodness he pursued it,” McAroy added.

The process of uncovering Kidwell's military history also inspired Collin in another aspect of his life. As a Boy Scout working his way through the ranks, Collin had to come up with a project to achieve the prestigious Eagle Scout rank. After some brainstorming, he landed on a memorial garden to honor all military men and women who have died while serving the United States.

Collin's hard work paid off May 23, when the garden and plaque were unveiled outside the mayor's window at Lewes City Hall.

“This Fallen Heroes Memorial Garden holds a special place to me in my family history,” he said. “We must never forget that it is the sacrifices of these military men and women that gave us the freedom we all have today.”

Medals/ badges received

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four bronze stars and a silver star, meaning Kidwell participated in five designated campaigns. A bronze arrowhead is attached to the ribbon for his amphibious assault on D-Day.*

• World War II Victory Medal*

• Army Good Conduct Medal

• Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp

• Sharpshooter marksman qualification for rifle

• Expert marksman qualification for carbine automatic rifle

• Expert rifleman badge

• Honorable service lapel button

* The family received duplicate medals from different organizations.