About
Lawrence Keefer Hennessy, the son of Russell and Lois (Keefer) Hennessy, was born on August 22, 1920, in Albany, New York. Lawrence and his family were living in Niskayuna by 1925. He received his high school diploma from Nott Terrace High School and his college diploma from Dartmouth in 1942. He belonged to the Sigma Nu fraternity.
In 1940, Lawrence enlisted in a class for officers in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. He was called into active service while still in Virginia and finished his training in IndianTown Gap and New River, North Carolina. Lawrence held the rank of Captain and served with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. He participated in combat during the Guadalcanal Campaign, but contracted malaria while there and was sent home for a year. Lawrence was deployed back overseas in December 1944. During the Battle of Okinawa, he served as the commander of a Marine unit. On May 21, 1945, he was killed in action. Lawrence is buried in the Albany Rural Cemetery, Albany, New York.
Sources: The Schenectady Gazette, Find A Grave, Ancestry