Born in Brighton, Tenn., on March 27, 1932, Edward Odell Kinney grew up working on the family farm. A typical farm boy, Odell left school after the seventh grade to dedicate himself full-time to farming. At 17, a unique earnings opportunity presented itself when he was hired to help construct a new Dupont Company plant in the Woodstock area between Millington and Memphis. Construction work is normally seasonal; so, when the work slowed in the winter, he attempted to join the Army. Too young to join without parental consent, Odell had to wait until after his 18th birthday to become a soldier and to begin his travels to parts of the world that he could only have dreamed of.
After being processed into the U.S. Army at Camp Breckenridge, Ky., Odell received his basic training at Camp Pickett, Va. His first set of orders was to the 23rd Tank Battalion at Camp Stoneville, Calif. It was not long until he found himself aboard a troop transport ship with 1,800 other military personnel headed west out of San Francisco Bay bound for Osaka, Japan. The Korean War was in full swing, and Odell was itching to join the fight. He transferred to the 2nd Infantry Division and volunteered to fight on the frontlines. Areas near Old Baldy and Pork Chop Hill were two of the well-known locations where Squad Leader Kinney led his men into battle. After nine months of rotating on and off frontline duty, he was transferred stateside to San Francisco for duty in the Honor Guard. Not only did he get to serve in parade details honoring his fellow service personnel who were returning from overseas, but he also earned the distinct privilege of serving in the parade detail that honored General Douglas McArthur when he returned to the United States.
Odell remained in the honor guard until receiving his honorable discharge on January 29, 1954. For his service to our great Nation, he was awarded the United Nations Service Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, and Korean Service Medal with one Bronze Campaign Star.
