Flag Flies High For Hampton Bays War Hero

WESTHAMPTON-HAMPTON BAYS-A local hero was honored in Hampton Bays for his courage recently.

Continuing its mission to take history out of the textbooks by honoring a local veteran each month of the school year, the Hampton Bays School District is paying tribute to Korean War Veteran Larry Kuhn by flying an American Flag in his honor throughout the month of February.

“The district is proud to honor Mr. Kuhn for his bravery and service to the United States,” said Superintendent of Schools Lars Clemensen.

Kuhn was honored at a ceremony at Hampton Bays Elementary School on February 12. During the event the Hampton Bays Middle School Harmonizers performed “Blackbird” by Paul McCartney and middle school VFW Patriot Pen essayists Bryan Carrillo and Samantha Coulton read their essays entitled “What Freedom Means to Me.”

Born in Ridgewood, Brooklyn in 1929, Kuhn and his family moved to Bellerose in Nassau County in 1931. Kuhn attended parochial school in Queens Village and traveled even further to Holy Trinity High School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for high school.

After graduating high school, Kuhn enrolled in the seminary and it was his intention to continue his religious studies. However, Kuhn had a change of heart after meeting Jane Wuensche in 1948. After leaving the seminary, Kuhn found employment with General Foods Cooperation and worked in the accounting division of Birdseye Foods for three years.

In 1951, Kuhn received a United States Army draft letter. He was sent to Camp Carson in Colorado, where he took both basic and advanced training as a construction engineer.

Kuhn and Jane married shortly after Kuhn completed basic training that same year.

While stationed at Camp Carson, Kuhn and his construction battalion built a road to Pueblo, Colorado through the Rocky Mountains that saved many miles of travel. He was then transferred to Fort Riley in Kansas, where his unit built several pontoon bridges to address the area’s heavy flooding.

Kuhn was then assigned to the 45th Division, 180th Battalion in Posan, Korea in 1952, where he was promoted to sergeant first class. While in Posan, he was attached to Company Headquarters. His tour in Korea ended five-and-a-half months later when he was offered a field commission to second lieutenant, a position that was contingent upon him remaining in Korea another six months. However, as he was eager to return to his wife, who was waiting at home, Kuhn was sent back to the United States and was honorably discharged in 1953.

After being discharged, Kuhn and his wife moved in with his wife’s parents in Elmont and in 1954 moved into a house they built on the property Jane’s father owned in Hampton Bays.

Kuhn went to work for the Bulova Watch Company in Sag Harbor and then for the telephone company as a lineman. He stayed with the phone company for 34 years, receiving several promotions along the way. He retired in 1989. After retirement, he returned to work for the phone company as a teacher for two years. Jane also worked for the telephone company and years later was employed by the Hampton Bays School District.

Kuhn has four children, three sons and one daughter, and while Jane passed away in 2004, he still lives in the house they built.

Kuhn is a member of the Hand Aldrich Post of the American Legion and was its commander in the 1970s. He is still active as a member of the Holy Name Society of St. Rosalie’s Church and is also a regular at the Hampton Bays Veterans Breakfasts that take place monthly.

Photo Caption: Hampton Bays Korean War Veteran Larry Kuhn (center) was honored by the Hampton Bays School District at a ceremony on Feb. 12. Also pictured are (left) Southampton Town Councilman Stan Glinka and (right) Councilwoman Julie Lofstad.

Photo courtesy of the Hampton Bays School District