Kenneth Anthony Kraft was born 25 March 25 1924 in Dorchester, Wisconsin. He was the son of Arbie and Anthony Kraft. Ken attended grade school in Neilsville and Miltown, Wisconsin and graduated from Seymour High School in 1942. He was employed at the Sturgeon Bay shipyards until his enlistment in the Marines 18 November 1942.

After training at Camp Elliot and Camp Gillespie, San Diego, California, he graduated as a First Marine Paratrooper in March 1943 and was assigned to Company C, First Marine Parachute Regiment. He was shipped to New Caledonia for further training then went on to combat at Vella La Vella and again at Bouganville. He was granted a twenty-day furlough at home after being wounded in action 1 January 1944 on Bougainville. By the end of November, the Commandant of the Marine Corps ordered that all Marine paratrooper units be disbanded and augmented into existing or new units. The Paramarines never made a combat jump in the war. Many of these men ended up in the newly formed 5th Marine Division.

Private First Class Kraft was assigned to the 26th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division. He would be killed in action on Iwo Jima 22 February 1945. The American Flag was raised on Mt. Suribachi on 23 February 1945, one day after Kraft was killed in battle, and just 5 days after the battle began. He would be be posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his valor fighting on the island. The citation reads as follows:

"The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Private First Class Kenneth A. Kraft (MCSN: 506927), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving as a Rifleman in a platoon of Company I, Third Battalion, Twenty-sixth Marines, FIFTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 22 February 1945. Alert and aggressive, Private First Class Kraft spotted a wounded comrade in front of the platoon's lines at a critical period of the action when the enemy's blanketing mortar and artillery barrage was inflicting severe casualties on his unit. Quick to act, he voluntarily crawled approximately thirty feet to the wounded Marine and, braving the savage fury of Japanese fire, carried his comrade to a shell hole where he promptly administered first aid. Returning to his platoon, he organized a rescue party and subsequently assisted in evacuating the Marine, thereby saving the life of the wounded man. Although mortally wounded by a burst of machine-gun fire later in the day, Private First Class Kraft, by his dauntless initiative and unfaltering devotion to duty in the face of tremendous opposition, had rendered valiant service and his conduct throughout upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country."

At the time of his death Private Kraft was married to his high school sweetheart, Delores Radder.

At mother's request, PFC Kraft's body was returned to the United States in 1949 and was buried with his father on 21 May 1949.

On 17 June 2017, the American Legion rededicated it's Post Hall to the name Krause-Kraft-Mueller Legion Post 106.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3.

Kenneth Anthony Kraft (1924)