Gordon Blane King, Seaman 1/c
Killed In Action
Battleship Arizona Official Biography
Lauren F. Bruner USS Arizona Memorial Foundation
Gordon B. King was the fifth of eight children born to William Thomas and Allice Daisy (Bohannon) King on 2 February 1920 at Sevierville, Sevier County, Tennessee. His father was a salesman and shipping clerk for produce. Gordon completed his ninth grade education at Central High School in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1935 where he played on the football team. He was living with his family at 3848 Davis Avenue in Knoxville when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy for six years on 4 October 1940 at Nashville, Tennessee. The induction physical indicated he was 5’ 7-1⁄2” tall, weighed 133 pounds, and had brown eyes, black hair with a ruddy complexion. He completed his boot camp training at the Naval Training Station at Norfolk, Virginia. Gordon reported to the USS Arizona on 4 December 1940 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Washington.
On December 7th 1941, Gordon Blane King was twenty-one years, ten months, and five days old. Gordon didn’t survive that terrible day and he remains on duty on the USS Arizona (BB-39). Gordon was survived by his parents and siblings; Hazel, eight years older, Blanche, five years older, Ruth Katherine, four years older, Helen Dicie, one year older, Charles William, two years younger, Marion, six years younger, and Donald Clyde, nine years younger.
- Rank: Seaman First Class
- Date of birth: 20 February 1920
- Date of death: 7 December 1941
- County: Knox
- Hometown: Knoxville
- Service Branch: Navy
- Division/Assignment: USS Arizona (BB-39)
- Theater: Pacific
- Conflict: World War II
- Battles: Pearl Harbor
- Awards: Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal wFleet Clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal Star
- Burial/Memorial Location: Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XIV, Middle Panel
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