Trinidad, Colorado

July 16, 2025

Dear Family & Friends:

I have often written about my deep love and respect for our servicemen, servicewomen and Veterans. They are my heroes.

On July 13, 2025, we lost one of those heroes. He was a close friend, so the loss is especially painful. Kenny Vance was 95-years old. He is survived by his wife, Julie, and his three daughters, Kendra, Karyl and Kristen.

Kenny was drafted into the armed services in January of 1951 at the tender age of 21. He joined the Army. Kenny had two brothers and a sister and they all served in the Armed Forces. His sister retired from the Army as a Colonel. Kenny volunteered to serve in Korea during the Korean War. He retired with honors and ribbons as a Staff Sergeant. In Korea, Kenny served as a Foreign Observer, which is one of the most dangerous assignments in the military. Foreign Observers are placed ahead of the front line of combat and are responsible to observe and report enemy troop movements and call in grid coordinates to fire artillery and mortar rounds on the enemy. Because of their particular value to the rifle company to which they were assigned, Foreign Observers were a target for the enemy. By 1944, the Army declared that,in ground combat, the Foreign Observer is “the most important individual in the forward area.”

After his discharge from the Army, Kenny received a degree from USC. He was a lifelong Trojan fan. He eventually received a doctorate degree from California Coast University. He married Julie and they recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

Kenny was deeply religious. He was raised as a Southern Baptist, but joined the Presbyterian Church when he moved with Julie to Newport Beach, California. He actively served in this church for 55-years.

Kenny did not drink. He smoked cigars since he was 18. In Korea, he swapped rations with fellow soldiers. He would swap his beer rations for cigars. Kenny loved to sit on his front porch in Newport Beach smoking a cigar and greeting the children, parents and pets as they passed by his home. He was truly revered in his community. Kenny had a regular coterie of friends, including me, who would join him on his porch to smoke a cigar and talk about current events and politics. Every Wednesday morning, he would attend a breakfast meeting with his men’s church group.

Because of my deep love of Kenny, I prepared a documentary movie of his life, with a particular focus on his military service. You can view it on YouTube. Search under “Kenny Vance Interview.” At the end of the interview, I asked Kenny to share his lessons from life. He counseled (i) live a good and happy life, (ii) love your family, (iii) have lots of good friends and (iv) attend and be active in a church.

Please pray for Kenny’s soul and his family. If you encounter a service member or Veteran, please say “thank you for your service.”

Bill

Front row left

Kenny & Julie

Left to right: Kendra, Karyl & Kristin