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VAN KAINEN,, Victor Voitto Sr. 1 2 3 4 5 6
• Military Service: Served aboard the USS Harry Lee assault transport during WWII., 1943-1945, U.S. Navy.
Victor married Dorothy KEITH, daughter of James Wilson KEITH and Nellie Florine HOLROYD, on 31 Dec 1932 in Detroit, Michigan. The marriage ended in Divorce about 1946. (Dorothy KEITH was born on 21 Mar 1913 in Freeport, Stephenson County, Illinois, died on 18 Nov 1976 in California and was buried cremated in California.)
Victor next married Betti PARIS in 1949 in Detroit, Michigan. (Betti PARIS was born in Detroit, Michigan.) |
1 Marriage License (State of Michigan, Wayne County). Surety: 4
2 1930 US Census, District 541, Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. Surety: 4. Lists Victor Viinikainen (age 52, b. Finland), wife Maria S. [Naurismaki] (age 48, b. Finland), and children Toivo (age 23, b. Canada-Eng), Victor V. (age 19, b. Canada-Eng), and Edward A. (age 15, b. Canada-Eng), living in Detroit, Michigan. Victor Sr. is listed as a "carpenter, building/contracting," and indicates that both his parents were born in Finland. Toivo is listed as a "machine hand" for an "auto factory." Victor Jr. is listed as an "installer-electric." Edward is listed as an "electrician's helper - electrical contracting." Victor Sr. indicates that he came to the U.S. in 1924 and was naturalized. Maria indicates that she came to the U.S. in 1929 and was not naturalized. Toivo came to the U.S. in 1925 and was naturalized. Victor Jr. came to the U.S. in 1926 and was naturalized. Edward came to the U.S. in 1928 and was naturalized.
3 Military Service. Surety: 4. Victor served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945, serving onboard the U.S.S. Harry Lee assault transport. The Harry Lee participated in seven invasions, the first on July 10, 1943, in the landing of Scoglitti, Sicily. She returned to the U.S. with German prisoners, who were members of "The Desert Fox" Rommel's Afrika Korps. Soon after arriving in the States, the Harry Lee was assigned to the Pacific theater, where she participated in six more invasions: 1) Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, 20 Nov 1943, 2) Kwajelein, Marshall Islands, 31 Jan 1944, 3) Aitape, New Guinea, 19 Apr 1944, 4) Guam, Marianas Islands, 21 Jul 1944, 5) Lingayen Gulf, Phillipines, 7 Jan 1945, and 6) Iwo Jima, 19 Jan 1945. After months of transferring and training, the Lee moved from island to island in the months that followed. Then, on 20 Jul 1945, she got underway for San Francisco, CA, proceeding independently, arriving on VJ Day, 8 Aug 1945.
4 Victor Van Kainen, Sr., The Memoirs of Victor Van Kainen (Uncertain when first entry was written, final entry dated Jan 1989.) Surety: 4. WWII - ...odor of rancid lard or? Stopping I looked for the source and lo and behold a native, looked like 7 feet tall, bare, only a loin cloth, spear in hand and tattoos all over him and on his head an inverted basket or so it seemed. Later I found out they build this up with tallow of the animals they kill. Not knowing what to do, gestured hi, he responded, thrusting his spear vertical and disappeared in the jungle. At the time this happened in New Guinea, still had headhunter aborigines. Picking up 1500 quarter master troops, headed out to sea. Heading towards Manilla which had just fallen. Incidentally these troops were all colored. (In war there is no distinction, all come under title B expendable.) This sort of makes it equal, other than the high brass that manipulate the strings. Anytime we had a full consignment of troops, I will give credit to the command of this particular ship, everybody ate the same, the only privileges we had, we went to the head of the line as we had work details to do. I do not know if this was prevalent in other ships, as we were just one in 35 or more when we disembarked troops. On this trip the war was escalating to the final onslaught on Japan. We were on our way to Manilla which was a shambles and they were going there to open the roads, clear the debris, etc. [sic] Arriving in Manilla dead of night, no way to dock, so anchored in Midbay. 8am, the word went out to disembark troops. It was so dark you could not see the small boats put-putting below. Cargo nets over the side, and over the side full pack. Even for them it must of been an experience they will never forget. Come daylight it amazed me to see the sunken ships in the harbor. I counted over a hundred, the harbor is only 45 feet deep and no large warship can come in. I recall a three-deck wooden passenger ship, after bombing lay on her side on the dock.
5 1911 Canadian Census, Sub-district 34, Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma West County, Ontario, Canada. Surety: 4. Lists Viktor Viinikainen [spelled Valinikaina] (age 31, b. May 1879, Finland), wife Mary [Naurismaki] (age 29, b. Jan 1881, Finland), and children Ida (age 6, b. Sep 1904, Ontario), Toivo (age 4, b. Jan 1906, Ontario) and Voito [Victor] (age 1, b. Oct 1910, Ontario), living in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Viktor is listed as a "laborer," and indicates that he arrived in Canada in 1901 and was naturalized in 1906.
6
Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1957 (Ancestry.com). Surety: 4. Name: Victor Viinikainen
Arrival Date: 12 Jul 1925
Age: 15
Birth Date: abt 1910
Birthplace: Sault Ste Marie
Birth Country: Canada
Gender: Male
Race/Nationality: Finnish
Port of Arrival: Detroit, Michigan
Departure Contact: Mother Maria
Arrival Contact: Father Victor Sr.
Microfilm Roll Number: M1478_110
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