Ken's World War II adventure ended in Mobile Bay.

Kenneth V. Breeden was born in Fort Branch, Indiana on May 29, 1918; his mother's name was Gladys V. Breeden. He moved to Santa Cruz County with his mother and sister, Mary, in 1922. Kenneth attended local schools and entered Santa Cruz High School, where he followed a general and varied course of instruction. He graduated with the June 1937 class. Following his graduation, Western Union and later the Stagnaro Company employed him.

Kenneth Breeden enlisted in the US Air force on February 28, 1940, and received his basic training at Moffett Field, California. Following his instruction period, he remained there for a year as a guard. In 1941 he was promoted to corporal and transferred to Hamilton Field, California, where he performed clerical work.

In August 1941 Breeden volunteered for service in China and was sent to Burma to become part of General Clair Chennault's famous Flying Tigers. The Flying Tigers were a group of volunteer American airmen hired by China prior to the US entry into World War II to man Chinese air bases in its war against Japan. While Ken was engaged in clerical activities, he occasionally drove trucks from Rangoon, Burma, over the precarious Burma Road to the air base in China.

Upon his return to the United States in 1942, Breeden was discharged. He immediately re-enlisted in the US Army Air Force and was promoted to technical sergeant. After receiving training in aircraft gunnery, he returned to the Pacific Theater and flew over fifty missions as a tail gunner against Japanese targets.

On September 25, 1945, Sergeant Breeden was discharged for a second time and joined the US Merchant Marines. While returning to his ship in Mobile Bay, Alabama, on March 30, 1946, he fell overboard and was drowned. His body was recovered and returned to Santa Cruz for burial in Oakwood Memorial Park on April 12, 1946. His awards include Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster.

(NARA2; SCHSC Pg. 6; SCR December 4, 1942, April 19, 1946 -9