William Gene “Bill” Hurst
6/28/1927 – 7/5/2007
Branch: Navy
Rank: Fireman First Class/Machinist Mate
Unit: Engineers
Service Dates: 1945-06-25 – 1946-08-23
Veteran Station: Johnson
County: Johnson
Medals: American Defense Medal, American Area Medal, European African Middle Eastern Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal, Philippines Liberation Medal, World War II Victory Medal
Conflicts/Significant Events: He served in the Pacific Fleet, aboard the USS Holland the first ship to enter Hiroshima Harbor after the bomb. In 1981 Bill was in charge ofm cranes during the rescue and recovery efforts during the Hyatt Sky Walk disaster. Later his photo “The Scout” was featured at the original KCI for many years.
Story uploaded: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 / updated: Sunday, February 4, 2024
