Chief Warrant Officer 4 Herbert W. Kenz was born in St Ignace Michigan on 2 July 1928. He graduated from Sault Ste Marie High School in 1946 and attended Michigan College of Mining and Technology from 1948-1950. He transferred to Western Michigan University (WMU), College of Education where he earned his degree in Secondary Education in 1952. Mr. Kenz was a Distinguished Military Student in the WMU Bronco Battalion and a Distinguished Military Graduate in May 1952, the second group of cadets to ever be commissioned through the WMU ROTC Program. He completed a Master of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1963.
Upon his return to the United States, he completed the Army Procurement Course, the Quartermaster Company Grad Course, and served as the Executive Officer for the ROTC Training Company at Ft Lee, Virginia. In 1956, Mr. Kenz resigned his commission and reentered the Active Reserves. In 1965 he applied for and received his Warrant Officer commission. From 1965 to 1983 he was a member of the Army Reserve 317thMedical Convalescent Center in Kalamazoo, the 334th – 323rd General Hospital (Attached) in Grand Rapids and the 401st Clearing Company in Kalamazoo. His final five years were spent as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee with Headquarters Command, 1st Army Headquarters, Fort Meade, Maryland. He retired July 1988 with full ceremony from the Army Reserves after the combined total service of 42 years.
On the civilian side of his career, Mr. Kenz spent thirty years in education as a high school teacher and counselor, and as Associate Director of Student Financial Aid at WMU. He began his teaching career as a high school Social Studies teacher and counselor at Harper Woods High School in 1958. In 1965 he was offer a job at WMU as the Director of Student Loans. In 1968 he became the Assistant Director of the Student Financial Aid & Scholarships. In 1978 he was promoted to Associate Director and in 1984 he was assigned as Acting Director. In 1985 he resumed the Associate Director title until he retired from Western Michigan University after 23 years of service in 1988. He taught Government and Economics in the adult education program for the Kalamazoo Public School System for 11 ½ years while working full time at Western Michigan University.
Herb was married to the former Jean Gray of Grosse Pointe Farms Michigan, for 57 years. They have 6 children, Joe, Bill, Kathie, Debbie, Kevin and Kris. They have 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren at the time of this bio.