Editor’s Note: The following feature is the ninth in a series of profiles that will honor the Korean War era veterans from Tonkawa. The bulk of the work and research was completed by Mike Schatz and Laverne Laws.Bill McKenzie John W. (Bill) McKenzie graduated from Tonkawa High School in 1949. He went one year to Northern Oklahoma Junior College where he met his future wife Verna Kelle.He enlisted in the National Guard in 1950. He served in Service Battalion 189th FA. Battalion, 45 Infantry Division his entire military career.The 189th was mobilized in September 1950 and was stationed at Camp Polk, La., where they trained and recurred draftees to fill their ranks.“We shipped out of New Orleans and by way of the Panama Canal and San Francisco arrived in Hokkaido, Japan, “Bill said. He explained that Hokkaido is located on Japan’s northern coast island.Hokkaido is the northernmost of the four main islands of Japan and served as a key staging area for American troops during the Korean War.“We trained until December while living in ten-man tents with wooden floors and one pot belly stove,” he said. “We went to Korea in December 1951 and were stationed just above the 38th Parallel. During the six months I was there, there were no big advances by either side in our sector.”Bill was married in November 1952 to Verna Kelle and both attended and graduated from Oklahoma A&M.They have two daughters and two grandchildren. All have college degrees in English.Bill has been farming and has lived on the same farm north of Blackwell since 1955.The McKenzie’s are great fans of OSU football and basketball and try to attend most home games.
