Fallen Crew Members of

USS KIDD (DD-661)

CLIFFORD ELLSWORTH KEMMERER

Clifford Ellsworth Kemmerer was born on May 24, 1926, in his hometown of Lehighton, Pennsylvania, to William E. and Elsie (Goldberg) Kemmerer.  He was one of five children.  His brothers were David, Leroy, and William, Jr.  His sister was Evelyn.  David was only one week old when Clifford died.  Evelyn would later marry Charles Diehl.

Clifford attended Lehighton High School through the 8^th grade before leaving school and going to work for the L. V. Railroad Company.  He was drafted into the Navy on September 04, 1944.  He attended boot camp in Sampson, New York, and received additional training at the Philadelphia Naval Base.  Kemmerer was then transferred to California where he reported aboard the USS KIDD (DD-661) on January 17, 1945.  His last visit home occurred on December 03, 1944.

While serving aboard the KIDD, Clifford changed rates on April 01, 1945, from Fireman 2^nd class to Fireman 1^st class.  When the kamikaze plane struck the KIDD off of Okinawa on April 11, 1945, Clifford was at his post in the forward fireroom where the plane hit.  The bomb that the plane carried did not detonate inside of the ship but rather was catapulted through that space, holing the destroyer and exploding outside the port side hull.  The crash, however, ruptured the Number One boiler, releasing steam that was 800° F in temperature and killing every man in the compartment.  In just over one month, he would have celebrated his nineteenth birthday.  Initially listed as Missing In Action, his body was later discovered in the fireroom's wreckage during recovery operations there.  He was buried at sea along with his shipmates at 1100 on Sunday, April 15, 1945, at 10.0 N latitude, 139-50 E longitude as the KIDD was en route back to Ulithi Atoll from the front lines.

A memorial service was held for Clifford at his family's church, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, on June 03, 1945.  In December of 1946, the family presented a plaque to the church's Reverend J. A. McConomy.  The plaque was given to the Reverend by little William Kemmerer, Jr., so as to honor the sacrifice of his big brother Clifford.

Our thanks to Mr. William Kemmerer, Jr., who supplied much of the above information to our researcher, Richard E. Ammon, Jr.

If anyone has additional information on, stories regarding, or photos of Clifford E. Kemmerer that they would like to contribute, please contact us at Info@usskidd.com.

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