Chief Warrant Officer Herb Kenz

Chief Warrant Officer Four Herbert Kenz was born in St Ignace, Michigan on 2 July 1928. He graduated from Sault Ste Marie High School in 1946 and attended Michigan College of Mining and Technology from 1948-1950. He transferred to Western Michigan University, College of Education where he earned his degree in Secondary Education in 1952. Mr. Kenz was a Distinguished Military Student in the Bronco Battalion and a Distinguished Military Graduate in May 1952, the second group of cadets to ever be commissioned through the WMU ROTC Program. he completed a Master of Arts Degree from the University of Michigan in 1963.

His military career spanned five decades from 1946 until 1988 and covered World War II and the Korean War. He served as an enlisted soldier in the occupation forces in Japan from 1946-1948 and then the U.S. Army Reserve from 1948-1950 in the Infantry Branch. In June of 1952, Mr. Kenz accepted a Regular Army Commission as a Quartermaster Officer and subsequently served nineteen months in Korea with the 8th Army Artillery as a Gun and Range Platoon Leader, Battery Executive Officer, and Battalion Maintenance Officer. He also served with the 622ned Military Police Company, 8th Army, in Kobe and Nagoya Harbor, Honshu, Japan investigating black market activities.

Upon his return to the United States, he completed the Army Procurement Course, the Quartermaster Company Grade Course and served as the Executive Officer for the ROTC Training Company at Fort Lee, Virginia. In 1956 Mr. Kenz resigned his RA commission and reentered the Active Reserve. In 1965 he applied for and received his Warrant. From 1965 to 1983 he wa a member of the Army Reserve, 317th Medical Convalescent Center in Kalamazoo, the 334h - 323rd General Hospital (Attached) in Grand Rapids and the 401st Clearing Company in Kalamazoo. His final five years were spend as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee with Headquarters Command, 1st Army Headquarters, Fort Meade, Maryland. He retired in July 1988 with a full ceremony from the Army Reserves after a combined total service of 42 years.

His awards include two Meritorious Service Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Army of Occupation (Japan) Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the United Nations Medal and the Korean Defense Service Medal.

On the civilian side of his career, Mr. Kenz spent thirty years in education as a high school teacher and counselor, and as Associate Director of Student Financial Aid at WMU. He began his teaching career as a high school Social Studies Teacher and counselor at Harper Woods High School in 1958. In 1965 he was offered a job at WMU as the Director of Student loans. In 1968 he became the Assistant Director of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. In 1978 he was promoted to Associate Director and in 1984 he was assigned as Acting Director. In 1985 he resumed the Associate Director title until he retired from Western Michigan University after 23 years of service in 1988. He taught Government and Economics in the adult education program for the Kalamazoo Public School System for 11 1/2 years while working full time at WMU.

Herb is married to the former Jean Gray of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. They have six children; Joe, Bill, Kathie, Debbie, Kevin and Kris. They have ten grandchildren and five great grandchildren at the time of this bio.