Fermer Kellogg was born in April 1925. He was born, raised and resides in Burbank, California. His family made everything do during the Depression [Annotator's Note: The Great Depression, a global economic depression that lasted from 1929 through 1945]. The children made their own games without supervision. Boys and girls played together. Kellogg sold Liberty magazines [Annotator's Note: a magazine published the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a Protestant Christian denomination] to buy his clothes. He was an only child. The family raised chickens and ate them and the eggs they produced. They ate a lot of stews made from dog bones. He attended school until the 11th grade when he entered the service. With the announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941], his mother was upset that her son would be going into the military. He was only 16 years of age, but by 1943, he volunteered for the Navy. After signing up, he was immediately called in for induction into the Navy. He went to Los Angeles [Annotator's Note: Los Angeles, California] and then Farragut, Idaho for training. It was snowing in Idaho. It was the first time he had seen snow.

Fermer Kellogg learned to swim, survive jumping in a burning pool, handle a rifle and march while training [Annotator's Note: he entered the Navy in early 1943 and had his training in Farragut, Idaho]. By April [Annotator's Note: April 1943], he was already at Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii]. He was going to be assigned to the USS Kingfisher [Annotator's Note: USS Kingfisher (AM-25)], which he assumed to be a submarine. That was acceptable to him. He had joined the Navy because his uncle had served in that service branch previously. The Navy tells the sailors what to do. He wanted to be in a fighting ship and a submarine would suit that call. He reported for duty on a tin-can [Annotator's Note: nickname for a Navy destroyer]. The officer in charge told Kellogg that his assignment was to a seagoing tug [Annotator's Note: Kingfisher was a minesweeper and seagoing tug]. Kellogg had fire and boiler duty on the ship. The Kingfisher was an old 1918 coal burner converted to fuel with oil. He was injured on the boat and went to hospital at MOB 2 [Annotator's Note: Medical Office Building 2 in Portland, Oregon]. After recovery, he went to San Francisco [Annotator's Note: San Francisco, California] and then San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California]. He then went to a group similar to Seabees [Annotator's Note: members of US naval construction battalions] at Coronado [Annotator's Note: in San Diego] but that did not last long. He went into amphibs [Annotator's Note: amphibious assault ships] and was trained for those operations. He picked up the new Lenawee [Annotator's Note: USS Lenawee (APA-195)] in Astoria, Oregon. Loading up their boats in San Francisco, they practiced operations without troops along the California coastline. Kellogg was trained to assume the coxswain's [Annotator's Note: person in charge of a boat] duties if needed. Picking up troops, the Lenawee sailed to Pearl Harbor. He saw the harbor had been cleaned up a good bit. The Arizona [Annotator's Note: the USS Arizona (BB-39)] recovery had ceased. Loading 8-inch [Annotator's Note: 8-inch, .55 caliber naval gun] ammunition and projectiles for the Pensacola [Annotator's Note: USS Pensacola (CA-24)] in readiness for Iwo [Annotator's Note: Battle of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 26 March 1945 at Iwo Jima, Japan], the Lenawee also loaded supplies and ammunition for the troops. After Christmas [Annotator's Note: 25 December 1944] in Pearl Harbor, the ship took on troops for Iwo. Working around the islands of Iwo, both the ship and troops trained for landing operations. More practice runs were performed in the Marianas [Annotator's Note: Mariana Islands] and then Saipan [Annotator's Note: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands] prior to hitting Iwo. The planned three-day operation turned into actually nine days off Iwo Jima.

Fermer Kellogg Annotator's Note: aboard the USS Lenawee (APA-195)] took troops and supplies to shore during the invasion of Iwo Jima [Annotator's Note: Battle of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 26 March 1945 at Iwo Jima, Japan]. Things were fouled up, so Lenawee's troops arrived late in the afternoon. He made five or six runs to the beach during the course of his involvement in the invasion. His boat [Annotator's Note: Landing Craft Vehicle, Personnel or LCVP; also known as the Higgins boat] could carry 36 troops or a jeep with its three crewmen. After nine days at Iwo Jima, the Lenawee sailed to Guam [Annotator's Note: Guam, Mariana Islands] and then Espiritu Santo [Annotator's Note: Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu]. At Espiritu Santo, troops were embarked to reinforce the Philippines. Lenawee sailed to several islands around the Philippines delivering troops. Okinawa [Annotator's Note: Okinawa, Japan] was next. The ship weathered a typhon with 18-to-20-foot swells. Items were lost to water more than anything else. The ship returned to the Philippines in preparation for the invasion of Japan [Annotator's Note: Operation Downfall; proposed Allied plan for the invasion of Japan]. Progress was being made by the Allies. It was only a matter of time to the end. After the military, it was a bit of a transition back to eating and sleeping and getting along with regular life with his mom. When the war ended, the heavily loaded Lenawee went to San Fernando [Annotator's Note: San Fernando, Philippines] to pick up the 1st Marine Division for MacArthur [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area] and took them to Tokyo Bay [Annotator's Note: in Japan] for signing of the peace treaty [Annotator's Note: Surrender ceremony; 2 September 1945 aboard USS Missouri (BB-63), Tokyo Bay, Japan]. There was defensive positions set up at the Tokyo Bay pier for the ship, but there was no resistance. The ship was shot at during the war. It did not bother Kellogg. None of the landing craft from his ship were hit by enemy fire. Nothing outstanding happened to Kellogg during the war. He thought he would be serving on a submarine but did not. He had a can of beer on his one shore party in the Philippines. He served his country and that was about it. He had his arm operated on in the Philippines. He reached the hospital by riding a tank. He immediately sought some chow. His injury occurred on a seagoing tug. The treatment was not successful because the screws and plates in his arm had to be removed. He had several operations in Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii], San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California], the Philippines and Oceanside [Annotator's Note: Oceanside, California]. In one instance, there was discussion of removing his arm. He never wanted to be discharged during those times. He was discharged at San Margaritas Ranch [Annotator's Note: Rancho Santa Margarita, California]. He had some difficultly with an officer opposing his leave [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time]. The Higgins Boat served its purpose of getting troops and supplies to shore. Kellogg carried his hammock with his seabag. The heat drove him under the boats with his hammock. It made for good sleeping. There was no entertainment on the ship. Off time was focused on work usually chipping paint or painting. There was always something to do.

Fermer Kellogg had problems with his arm after the war, but he still managed to take on various types of work like truck driving. The judicial system should enforce harsher penalties on guilty individuals. He was fortunate to serve during the war. He has no regrets. He went into the service at 185 pounds and was discharged at 115 pounds. It took three to five years for him to readjust to civilian life. Young people do not know the sacrifices made for them during the war. They should learn more about the war. The 9-11 attacks [Annotator's Note: September 11 Attacks; series of coordinated terrorist attacks on the US, 11 September 2001] made him feel like here we go again. He hated to see it. He was proud to serve the nation in its time of need.