USS KIDD Veterans Memorial -- History -- Fallen Crew Members (DD-661)

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Fallen Crew Members of

USS KIDD (DD-661)

Ship's Seal of USS KIDD (DD-661)

Arthur Lee

ARTHUR LEE

Arthur Lee was born on February 08, 1910. Although the name of his father is unknown at this time, his mother's name was Nettie. One of four children, he had two sisters, Lillian and Margaret, and one brother, Howard. A native of Schenectady, New York, Arthur attended his last year of school at Mohonansen High School. Upon graduation, he went to work at the New York Stock Exchange.

While working at the Stock Exchange, Arthur met a young man by the name of Jack Bloch, who introduced him to his mother's twin sister (his aunt), Florence. He also introduced him to another aunt, Pauline Forstate. Arthur married Florence in January of 1931 and they had two (2) daughters: Lorraine and Janet, who reside in Pennsylvania and Florida respectively [as of 2004]. Lorraine was born in 1934. As of last report [Sept. 2004], Florence still resides in northern Miami, Florida.

According to his daughter Janet, Arthur was originally born as Arthur Lebowitz. He may have started using the last name "Lee" after his high school graduation. He went under the name "Lee" when Florence and he were married.

On April 04, 1944, Arthur joined the Navy. Florence joined him in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then returned with him to Brooklyn, New York, when he was sent by the Red Cross to the Naval hospital there to have his appendix removed. Some time after this, he was sent to the Naval hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, for dental work. From there, he went to the Naval Receiving Station at Miami, Florida, for transfer to San Francisco, California. Arthur reported aboard the USS KIDD (DD-661) on January 17, 1945.

When Arthur died aboard the KIDD on April 11, 1945, he was a Seaman 2^nd class and was working at his station in the Combat Information Center (CIC). Shipmate Mack V. Bradley remembers going into the CIC to assume his post when General Quarters was sounded. Lee offered to relinquish his post to Bradley, who was a Radarman, but Mack waved off the offer. Just seconds later, as he plugged his set of sound-powered headphones into another station on the other side of the compartment, the ship was hit. The bomb blast from the kamikaze tore apart the portside wall of CIC. Lee died instantly and Bradley lived; one of many similar stories that day.

Arthur was buried at sea at 1030 the following day on Thursday, April 12, 1945, along with his shipmates while the KIDD was en route back to Ulithi Atoll from the front lines. The first family member to find out the tragic news was Tole Light, his brother-in-law. Tole had married Pauline Forstate, Florence Lee's sister. A warrant officer, he was at Ulithi Atoll when the KIDD arrived there for repairs on Sunday, April 15. He took a boat out to the ship and it was then that he learned of Arthur's fate.

Arthur Lee with members of his family.

Arthur Lee is pictured here with members of his

family: (Top Row L-R) his sister Lillian, his wife

Florence, himself; (Middle Row L-R) sister-in-law

Rose (Howard Lee's wife), his mother Nettie

Winkler, his sister Margaret; (Bottom Row L-R)

his daughters Janet and Lorraine, and his

nephew Michael (Howard Lee's son).

Photo courtesy of Howard Lee.

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

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