USS Arizona ROC

Full story of Fred & Betty Kinney

• Name of Record: Frederick William Kinney
• Branch: United States Navy
• Service Number: 279 25 26
• Rate: 1st Mus (First Musician)
• Duties: Bandmaster
• Enlisted: 13 November 1926
• Place: Possibly St. Louis
• Onboard USS Arizona: 17 June 1941
• From: USS Lassen

• Birth Name: Frederick William Kinney
• Date of Birth: 31 July 1909
• Place of Birth: Robinson Creek, Kentucky
• School: Not Known
• Hometown / State on 7 December 1941 - Bremerton, Washington
• Next of Kin: Mrs. Elizabeth Kinney - Wife
• Address: 2307 8th St., Bremerton, Washington
• Parents: George W. Kinney & Mary E. Johnson Kinney

• Disposition: Unrecoverable – Among the 900+ souls still onboard the USS Arizona
• Posthumous Awards: Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal w/Fleet Clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/Star, WWII Victory Medal

Frederick William Kinney, USS Arizona Bandmaster, was born 31 July 1909 at Robinson Creek, Kentucky to George Washington and Mary E. Kinney. He enlisted in the Navy in 1926 and served on the USS West Virginia (1928-1934), USS New Mexico, USS Pennsylvania, USS Argonne and USS Arizona. Kinney's CSC Book shows he trained Band #22 in Washington D.C. from 31 December 1940 thru 26 May 1941. The entire band reported aboard USS Arizona on 17 June 1941 via USS Lassen. He was promoted to 1stMus 21 September 1941. Kinney reenlisted for the last time on 13 November 1941 to serve another 4 years only weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Frederick William Kinney, along with all the members of the USS Arizona's Pacific Fleet Navy Band No. 22, was killed in action at his battle station in Turret 2 on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Frederick was married to Elizabeth (Betty) Marie Von Babo and they resided in Washington. They had no children. Betty later remarried and has 3 daughters, 10 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren. When this story was first published in the December 2008 issue of Messages from the Arizona, she had recently celebrated her 90th birthday.

Full story of Fred & Betty Kinney

Photo and Service information from the Vincent J. Vlach, USN Ret., (USS Arizona Survivor & Ship's Historian) and I. B. Nease, USNR Ret., (USS Arizona Historian) Collections [privately held collections]
Other Information, Documents, and/or Photos provided by N. A. Nease [privately held collection]
Report of Changes: National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, United States; Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 01/01/1939 - 01/01/1949; Record Group: 24, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1798 - 2007; Series ARC ID: 594996; Series MLR Number: A1 135