Photos-22
Ralph Reginald KENDRICK #96 in the group photo
maybe, maybe not?
Ralph was listed in the yearbook as one of the seniors for 1941 at the B.B. Comer Memorial School, in Sylacauga, Alabama. Yet, there isn't an individual photo of him as a senior. He is listed on the page in "Senior One, Section 1" which has about 33 names, yet the one group photo only has 17 seniors showing in that section. That photo does include this person here on the left, on the front row, but no name labels. I thought he looked a lot like the above photo from the 1944 army group photo. Ralph's children agree that #96 is their dad, yet not this high school guy. Gosh, the chin and eyebrows, and ears and nose and hairline look so close to me. Another mystery.
Ralph married Mary Jo King on 11 Nov 1950. They lived and raised their two children in Sylacauga, AL. After 63 years of marriage, Ralph passed in 2013, and Mary Jo in 2019. They are buried at Green Hill Memorial Gardens in Childersburg, AL.
Ralph's son, Terry, said in a message to me, that for years his Dad didn't talk much about his army days, not until much later. He remembered him talking about the trip across the Atlantic and how terrible the food was on the ship. And remembered him saying you better not be heard calling it a "boat". He also remembered him talking of a submarine rumored to be in the area. He talked more about the time he spent in Europe during his last five months than the previous 45 years of his son's life. And then much like my Dad, he told of how he actually got to see Patton once while he was in Europe. Both of our Dads would always tell that story in the waiting rooms, to the doctors and nurses, and basically anyone that would listen!
Terry said that his Dad was very proud of his time in WWII and proud to have served his country. Also, it made him proud to be a descendant of his and a descendant of "the greatest generation".
