Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Kenneth W. Stein Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Battalions
- Location of Service: China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/27620
For a man who was initially reluctant to serve in World War II-he had a wife and young child when the U.S. entered the conflict-Kenneth Stein wound up with as perilous an assignment as possible. Work for the newly formed OSS attracted him, and he was assigned to the China-Burma-India Theater, where he allied with native guerrillas and commandos to harass the Japanese. By war's end, he had, in his words, contracted "every type of dysentery known to man" as well as malaria, but he had also gained the satisfaction of taking the fight directly to the enemy
Interview / Recording
Share
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PlayHearing about the new Office of Strategic services and arranged to be interviewed for it; training on Catalina Island; assigned to Burma in the Chinese-Burma-India Theater; parachuting without training;a guerrilla fighter working behind enemy lines. 00:03:17.2 - 00:10:16.3
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PlayClose shaves with death during ambushes; often had to provide his own medical treatment; because he was working undercover, there was no official recognition for his wounds. 00:10:32.9 - 00:16:16.2
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PlayAfter recovering from injuries, a second mission in China working with a new unit, the Chinese Commandos; were to take an airstrip to be used for US planes returning from bombing runs over Japan. 00:16:36.5 - 00:18:56.5
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PlayWhat his military career taught him about life. 00:27:37.7 - 00:28:13.6
About this Item
Title
- Kenneth W. Stein Collection
Names
- Storniolo, Margaret
- Stein, Kenneth W.
Home State
- Wisconsin
Headings
- - Stein, Kenneth W.
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
- - Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- veteran
Service History
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World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Battalions
- Location of Service: China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Dates of Service: 1942-1946
- Military Status: veteran
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Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Army
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: Digital Betacam [1 item] -- Digitized Copy (collected unknown)
- Video: VHS-C [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2004-09-29)
- Video: VHS [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2006-03-03; 2006-03-03)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/27620
Cite as
- Kenneth W. Stein Collection (AFC/2001/001/27620), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- video