TOMS RIVER – Being in the Army taught Kenneth Pickell how to fight. Decades later, his resilience is helping him recover.
Pickell was one of nine children. He and his five brothers all served in the armed forces. He served in North Africa, Sicily, and the Italian campaigns in World War II. He bore the brunt of some of the brutal sides of history.
“I saw the body of (Benito) Mussolini and his mistress hanging upside down by meat hooks. They had shot them both and displayed their bodies for everyone to see,” he said.
There was another time in Trieste, Italy, when he had to lay cover fire so that his fellow troops could move forward.
“They were in a tiled roof shed, about 75 yards or so from us. I took a belt of ammo and kept firing at the windows to keep them down so the company could move forward. When they fired back at me I can still recall the splat, splat, splat of the rounds hitting all around me” stated Ken.
Pickell, a Private First Class, received a Bronze Star in 1944 for his actions. The citation repeats the story he told, but without his humility: “When his company’s advance was halted by extreme heavy machine gun and more fire, Pfc. Pickell moved to a small building 20 yards to the front of the main building occupied by the company. Because of terrific enemy fire coming in the window, it was impossible to emplace his gun. After several unsuccessful attempts, Pfc. Pickell ran with his gun across the open space to the main building, where at great personal risk he went into action in an open space measuring four by two feet in front of the building for five hours remained at his gun in spite of the fact that several machine guns were firing at him…His accurate and intense fire kept the enemy machine guns occupied and cut their effectiveness greatly.”
He was later injured during combat in the Po Valley in northern Italy. A German 88 artillery shell blew him out of a foxhole. He was one of the few who survived the blast. He spent six months recuperating in a hospital in Rome before being sent home. He received a Purple Heart for this.
But he came home. All five of his brothers came home, too.
Ken’s younger brother Harold shared, “My poor mother, she worried about us all. I can still see the banner hanging in our window with blue stars on it. We all served and came home.”
He always thinks about those who didn’t. And those who still need help. That’s why he volunteered at a VA center in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, dedicating more than 10,000 hours there.
Now, he and his brother Harold live in Ocean County. Ken was admitted to Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Toms River (EHTR) in September 2020, with general weakness in hopes to gain strength to return safely home.
His Occupational Therapist, Patti Henk, stated, “Mr. Pickell is an example of resilience. He always came to his occupational therapy sessions with a good attitude and was focused on meeting his goals of increasing his strength and maintaining his independence. It was an honor to work with him.” Some notable changes during his rehabilitation that advanced from moderate assistance to independent were his bed mobility and walking on uneven surfaces. With Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, his mobility and confidence had improved as well as his education in the areas of falls, home safety and pain management. Electrical simulation, electrical modalities, heat/ice and stretching were some of the techniques used during Ken’s rehabilitation program at EHTR.
Being in good hands is leading to his recuperation, but also helping is his strength of character and motivation. After all, he is a fighter.
