Louie Kehl ready for some air time

This morning (Friday) Louie E. Kehl will be taken on a flight in a vintage World War II aircraft soaring over farmlands, river, lakes and canals - places, he says, he has viewed from the ground for more "years than I care to count."

Aside from that, the flight aboard the AT-6 Texan trainer aircraft, to be given to him by pilot Kevin Kegin of American War Bird, promises to rekindle memories of the longtime Yuma Valley farmer's service in the Navy in World War II.

Kehl says he "almost got to train to be a pilot." Instead, he ended up on an aircraft carrier that fought the Japanese in battles in the Pacific.
Kehl joined the Navy in 1942 after graduating from Yuma Union High School.

"After basic training in San Diego, I was sent to Norman, Oklahoma, to train to be a pilot. But, I came down with pneumonia and was put into the hospital, too late for the pilot training. The Navy sent me to sea, assigned to the USS Sangamon."

The Sangamon was an oil tanker that was converted to an aircraft carrier in August 1942.

Kehl's experiences aboard the Sangamon were a far contrast from his youth helping his family on farms at 8th Street and Avenue B and later at Avenue D and County 11-1/2, he recalled.

The Sangamon was named "an oil can with wings," and the crew designed an emblem of an oil can sprouting wings, Kehl said.

The escort carrier had received battle stars for service in North Africa against the Germans in World War II, and then went on to distinguish itself against the Japanese in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, at Palau, Yep, Ulithi, Woleal, western New Guinea, the Marianas, Leyte and Okinawa.

Kehl recalled the day of May 4, 1945. "A Japanese kamikaze attacked us and was shot down by our gunnery crew. I was a coxswain V6 and had to blow my whistle to help direct crews during the attack. I commanded two sets of 40-caliber guns on the port side of the ship. We had been torpedoed earlier, but the torpedo hadn't exploded.

"The Japanese pilot was captured," he said, but not before his plane crashed on the deck of Kehl's ship.

The carrier was so damaged it was taken back to Norfolk, Va., where Kehl was discharged.

For their service aboard the Sangamon, Kehl and crew members were awarded the Asian Pacific Campaign medal with three bronze stars; Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon; Philippine Ribbon with one bronze star, Philippine Presidential Unit citation.

Latest in the honors Kehl has received is the medallion from the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands for service in helping in the liberation of the islands from the Japanese in 1944.

Kehl returned to Yuma after his service in the Navy.

In addition to farming, Kehl has been active in the Yuma County Water Users Association for 29 years and in the Yuma County Farm Bureau, and has served on the county Planning and Zoning Commission.

He has been an avid hunter in Arizona, Colorado and Montana, and has enjoyed golf.

The Kehls have attended numerous Sangamon reunions and other veterans events in numerous travels.

"I actually took a few flying lessons," Kehl said.

Kehl and his wife, the former Helen Yarwood whom he married Dec. 9, 1944, also were bowlers, and they belong to the Oasis Church.

The Kehls have a daughter, Janet Evans, and a son, Ernie Kehl, both in Texas, and son David Kehl, in Oregon; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

The flight today is a Christmas gift from Janet, her husband Bob Evans, granddaughter Sheri and grandson Neal, all of Texas.

American War Bird is a St. Louis, Mo., company that gives flights in vintage military aircraft.

Kehl "will have the first flight of our Yuma visit," said pilot Kegin.

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Pam M. Smith can be reached at psmith@yumasun.com or 539-6856.