Clair Eye

Personal Information

Birthplace: Abilene, Kansas

Service Information

Branch of Service: Navy

Unit: VR2 Squadron based in Alameda, California

Theater of Operation: American

Enlisted / Commissioned: Jan 20, 1942

Highest Rank: Aviation Machinist's Mate 1st Class

Honored By: The Eisenhower Foundation

Biography

Clair Kenneth (Kenny) Eye was born November 1, 1921 in Abilene, Kansas; the son of Bert and Emma Vinson Eye. He served in the United States Navy from 1942-1945. His service number is 6282175. He flew in the PBY, ahead-of-its-time airplane that played a huge part in winning World Warr II: the consolidated PBY flying boat and in a PBM plane, which was a twin-engine American Patrol bomber flying boat designed to compliment the PBY. Eye was the flight engineer, his rank, an Aviation Machinist’s Mate F First Class for the Naval Air Transport Squadron 2 (VR-2 Squadron). A lifetime Larned area resident, he was the manager of the Duckwalls and Alco stores in Larned. He was a member of the Larned United Methodist Church, Larned Area Chamber of Commerce, Larned Golf, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Masonic Lodge and Elks. He was a volunteer fireman. On March 24, 1946 he married Wanda C. Trickle in Abilene, Kansas. They had two sons, a daughter, ten grandchildren and twenty-one great grandchildren. Courtesy findagrave.com, fold3.com, kshs.org