Hampton Bays School District Pay Tribute to Navy Veteran

Photo courtesy of the Hampton Bays School District

Continuing its tradition of taking history out of the books by honoring local heroes, the Hampton Bays School District paid tribute to Navy veteran Jack Kampf with a ceremony on Friday, Dec. 5.

“The Hampton Bays School District is proud to honor Jack Kampf for his service to our country,” Superintendent of Schools Lars Clemensen said.

During the ceremony, Hampton Bays High School student Mackenzie Engeldrum sang the National Anthem, Franklin Kryzewski read Kampf’s biography and the jazz band performed.

Congressman Tim Bishop presented Kampf with medals he had earned but never had presented to him. Bishop was able to secure the medals 58 years later.

Following the presentations, a flag was raised in Kampf’s honor.

After training at the U.S. Naval Training Center in Bainfridge, Md., Kampf was assigned to the destroyer escort, the U.S.S. Ulvert M. Moore, and deployed to the Far East for duties in Korea.

His job was to assist in the search for enemy submarines throughout the Pacific while also escorting aircraft carriers, ammunition and supply ships to and from a home base in Sasebo, Japan.

After being honorably discharged in 1956, Kampf began a career in the garment industry that lasted 55 years.

He also started a not-for-profit, The Needlers Foundation, which contributed millions to children’s charities.

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