Kenneth Frederick Hanst, Jr. – Major, United States Army

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Kenneth Frederick Hanst, Jr. was born  in New Jersey on 16 May 1920.

He was appointed to the United States Military Academy from West Virginia and graduated in the Class of 1942.

Upon graduation from West Point, he was assigned to the Infantry and served as a Company Commander, 28th Division, in World War II (1943-1945). He was badly wounded during the war, was decorated with the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge and the Purple Heart Medal.

He was retired on disability as the result of his wounds in 1947 as a Major.  He then served with the Army Mutual Aid Association, Fort Myer, Virginia, from 1950.


Courtesy of Robert MacDougall Bringham, Jr., July 2007:

Kenneth F. Hanst, United States Military Academy Class of 1942, my Dad's (Robert MacDougall Bringham) very close friend who was cremated and is in the columbarium at Arlington National.

He died on 4 January 2003. He lost most of one leg in World War II. He too was retired for wounds.

He ran THE ARMY MUTUAL AID ASSOCIATION for many years right there at Fort Myer.

Major Hanst was the FIRST recipient of the Castle Award which was established in 1967: Each year, the West Point Society of the District of Columbia presents the prestigious Castle Memorial Award to the USMA graduate who has distinguished himself or herself in exemplifying the ideals of West Point in either a military or civilian capacity. The award was established by Ben Castle, Class of 1907, and first President of the D.C. Society, in memory of his son, Fred Castle, Class of 1930, who was killed in an air mission during the Battle of the Bulge on Christmas Eve, 1944. As a Brigadier General commanding the 4th Bomb Wing, Fred Castle “took control and deliberately gave his own life to save his crew,” and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.


HANST, KENNETH F

  • MAJ   US ARMY
  • DATE OF BIRTH: 05/16/1920
  • DATE OF DEATH: 01/04/2003
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 5-X  ROW 12  SITE 5
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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