Kenneth Valentine Carlsen

Captain Kenneth Valentine Carlsen enlisted into the US Army Air Corps on Nov. 25, 1940, in Wausau, Wisconsin. He signed on to become a pilot and reported to the Spartan School of Aeronautics on June 29, 1940, for three months of training. His training began on Nov. 27, 1940. He completed his main training in June 1941 and was commissioned an officer and granted his wings. Soon thereafter, he was sent to an airfield in the Panama area.

He was assigned to the 35th Bomb Squadron, 25th Bomb Group where he flew in B-18 bombers. On Dec. 14, 1942, his B-18 suffered an engine failure and he was forced to bail out. He was declared missing in action and later declared dead.

There is a cenotaph in his honor at Anah Cemetery in Spooner, Wisconsin. He is also memorialized at the East Coast War Memorial in New York City.