Still Inspiring Others
Harry Kone is an East Cobb resident and Veteran of WWII and recently celebrated his 101st birthday.
Born on August 16, 1920, in Baltimore, MD and graduated from Mt. Saint Joseph High School in 1938. While attending the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Harry met the love of his life, Marjorie.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Harry returned to Baltimore and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and later found himself far away from home, in the Pacific. Injured in Guadalcanal, Harry was sent to New Zealand for treatment and later deployed to the Bougainville campaign in the Solomon Islands, where the Allied forces fought the Empire of Japan. According to the Marine Corps University, the Bougainville campaign was “one of the most resounding successes of the war in the Pacific” not only because of the coordination between the Navy and Marine Corps, but because this battle ultimately caused the Japanese to over extend their air units creating an exploitable weakness.
Harry received an Honorable Discharge in 1945, but suffered from injuries he received during the war. He then contracted TB and was told he would not make it, but his faith and love for Marjorie pulled him through. They were married, had three children, and shared 65 happy years together.
Harry’s life story is truly inspirational and a legacy that will live on in American history as a testament of love, courage, strength and faith to God, Country, Corps and Family.
To honor Harry and his service, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners designated August 16, 2021 as “Harry Kone Day.”
Harry is also a faithful supporter of the Cobb Veterans Memorial and one of the first to make a personal donation to help build this world-class monument to honor all Veterans and their families and ensure that their legacies live on.
You can learn more about Harry at the American Veteran Center and by watching the interview below with Rev. Richard Burdick of Unity North Atlanta, recorded before Harry’s 99th birthday.
This year, Harry’s birthday party was attended by a few close friends. Read MDJ story here.