Kennon Smith Breazeale

Company A 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

4th Infantry Division

KIA 02/10/1945

Kennon S. Breazeale was born in Anderson County, South Carolina on December 5, 1915.
His religion was listed as Protestant.

He attended Clemson University for two years, then dropped out, and enlisted as a Private in the U.S. Marine Corps
in 1936. He served in Company F 2nd Battalion 4th Marine Regiment, and saw duty in Shanghai, China.

After his enlistment ended he returned to Clemson and finished a degree in Animal Husbandry. He was enrolled in ROTC
at Clemson, held the rank of Cadet Colonel during his senior year, and commanded the Corps of Cadets. He was prominent
in the Scabbard and Blade Society. On June 5, 1942 he married Elsie Bennett. They had a son born in 1944.

Upon graduation in 1942 Breazeale was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry in the Army, and trained
at Camp Wolters, Texas and Fort Benning, Georgia, before returning to duty with the military staff at Clemson.
In 1944 he received orders for overseas.

He was assigned to Company A 22nd Infantry from the 3rd Replacement Depot on December 9, 1944.

He was assigned as a Platoon Leader in the Company on January 1, 1945.

1st Lieutenant Kennon S. Breazeale was killed in action in Germany during the battle for Prüm
on February 10, 1945.

On February 10, 1945, his Company, as part of 1st Battalion, was tasked with seizing Objective 17,
a wooded hill to the north of Prüm, overlooking the city.

While leading his platoon in the attack that day, Breazeale was struck down and killed, along with three of his enlisted men.

He was awarded the Silver Star Medal in General Orders:
HQ, 4th Infantry Division, G.O. No. 52 (1945).

Article from robin pellicci moore from the Find A Grave website created by: Fran Bundy

1st Lieutenant Kennon S. Breazeale's decorations

Kennon Breazeale was a member of Scabbard and Blade

Kennon S. Breazeale was buried in the temporary U.S. Military Cemetery,
Foy Cemetery, Bastogne, Belgium and some time later his remains
were returned to the United States where he was
reinterred in South Carolina.

Burial:
Lebanon Baptist Church Cemetery
Lebanon (Anderson County)
Anderson County
South Carolina, USA

Grave marker for Kennon S. Breazele
(Though his grave marker denotes he was killed in Belgium,
Kennon Breazeale was actually killed in Germany.)

Photo by L Weems-Hyatt from the Find A Grave website created by: Fran Bundy

Top photo from robin pellicci moore from the Find A Grave website created by: Fran Bundy

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