Pvt. Ford Calvin King was born in Cutler, Illinois, on February 1, 1926, to Chester R. King and Dora Van Dorn-King, and he had two sisters and three brothers. His family moved to Maywood, Illinois, where they resided at 507 South 8th Avenue. He graduated from Emerson School and Proviso Township High School in 1944. When he registered with Selective Service, on February 1, 1944, he named his mother as his contact person.
On June 22, 1944, after graduating from high school he enlisted in the United States Marines and did his basic training at Camp Pendleton, California, as a member of the 6th Training Battalion, 2nd Infantry Training Command, Fleet Marine Command. He was issued the serial number 984795. His training lasted from July to October 1944. He was then assigned to Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. Since his unit was already overseas, he appears to have joined the 5th Marines as they were preparing for the invasion of Okinawa.
On April 1, 1945, the 1st Marine Division took part in the invasion of Okinawa. The landing was the largest assault on a Japanese held island in the Pacific, and the fighting on the island was brutal and the most bloody battle in the Pacific. According to available information, Ford died on May 4, 1945, when he was hit by gunshot fire in his neck. The next day, he was buried in the First Marine Division Cemetery #1, Okinawa, in a blanket, in Plot 1, Grave 252.
Although there is a lack of documentation, it is known that his parents were sent a letter telling them where Ford was buried and the location of his grave in the cemetery. I a later letter from the Office of the Quartermaster General, Washington DC, his father was asked to fill-out and return a form indicating where he wanted his son buried. The form was returned to the OQMG indicating that his remains should be returned to Illinois.
At some point, Ford’s remains were exhumed and sent to Saipan where they were casketed. On January 25, 1949, his casket was placed on the USAT Dalton Victory which sailed the same day. The ship arrived at Fort Mason, San Francisco Port of Entry, on February 17, 1949. By train with a military escort, his casket arrived at the Quartermaster Corps Distribution Center #8, Chicago, on March 7, 1949. He was buried a Mount Emblem Cemetery, Elmhurst, Illinois, in the South Parkway, Section 117½, Grave 4. It should be noted that the year of death on his headstone is the wrong year.
