Mystery surrounds Farmington's lone Medal of Honor recipient

"Worley's military record stated he graduated the eighth grade from Farmington Elementary School and moved for a short time to Truth or Consequences after being orphaned. It is not known what happened to his parents."

There was not an elementary school named "Farmington Elementary" here.

Kenneth Worley (according to his military record) was born in Farmington, NM, lived in Farmington, NM, & went to school in Farmington, NM.

Although some schools in Farmington, NN (at the time Worley attended school here) had specific names, such as "Swinburne School", they were commonly spoken of as:
Farmington Elementary Schools
Farmington Junior High School
Farmington High School.

The military records may be simply quoting what was common terms for the Farmington Schools of the time.

Ok, he'd be 61. There are plenty of native Farmingtons of that age around. Surly SOMEONE remembers him. That would be a start. If he was born here in 48 that was just before the boom of the early 50's right? Farmington had a population of less than 5000 at the time.

It seems safe to say that his family wasn't one of the "Leading Families" However, it does seem fairly well established that he was born here and spent his formative years here. That does make him a home-grown hero, worthy of some memorial.
the Viet Nam action has always been the war we'd like to forget, yet it shapes us even today. Thus I'm a bit surprised at Mayor Standly's reluctance.

I'm going to make an assumption that most who post here are under say 50. Ask your folks if they remember him. Maybe we can fill out this biography and 40 years late acknowledge a true home town hero.

What is the hold up Mayor Standly??? This is your town as well as ours, give this brave Marine the recognition he deserves....get busy!!!!!

A Medal of Honor tribute at the All Veterans Park by the river would be a great place.

I do have to agree that Worley should have some type of memorial deedicated to him. There should be no reason that Mayor Bill Standley is so hesitant on this. Obviously someone else has done the research that connects him to this town.

It is an honor to learn about LCpl Worley. Thank you.

I agree with everyone about this home grown HERO Kenneth Lee Worley....
I am writing to every Friend and family member I have to see if they know him....
Mayor Bill Standley SHAM on you....Get your head out of your @## and do something...Our Vietnam Veterans have never been treated like they should have been...They fought for our country and deserve the honor the veterans of other wars received...

SUNSHINE wrote:

I agree with everyone about this home grown HERO Kenneth Lee Worley....
I am writing to every Friend and family member I have to see if they know him....
Mayor Bill Standley SHAM on you....Get your head out of your @## and do something...Our Vietnam Veterans have never been treated like they should have been...They fought for our country and deserve the honor the veterans of other wars received...

Come back and post if you learn anything.. and anyone else who thinks this is worth while, how about contacting your councilman?

THIS STATEMENT IS OUTRAGEOUS MAYOR! "Mayor Standley said he needed more information about Worley before pushing for a memorial.

"I don't feel I can do it, until I find out more information, and if he's got strong ties or roots (to the community)," Standley said. He also wanted to know if Worley was recognized in other states"

LET'S GET ON THE BALL AND PROPERLY RECOGNIZE THIS BRAVE MARINE

Whoever is doing this work just isn't too up on things. If you check the FHS Hall of Fame you will find an FHS Grad who won the Congressional and also wrote a book. He may not have been born here but definately went to school here. I can't recall his name but a trip to the gym lobby and a vist to the south end of the lobby, anyone can read the plaque. THe Worley that the baseball filed is named after is a different Ken Worley who was an El Paso hand and did a lot of the work on the park. HE passed many years ago of a heat attack. One thing we could really use is for the "history Makers Hall of Fame" or somebody to really reseach the common names and document them. Before long, nobody will remember Orvill Ricketts (Ricketts' Park) or who Justice and Carpenter were and why fields were named after tham. THe same is true of many streets, etc. It would be great to have something for the Congressional people. Lets just not forget some of them. I also think its not a good idea to rush monuments until we actually know a little more.

How can someone opine that after waiting two decades to be recognized in the town where he was born , the hope for a memorial can be deemed rushing the cadence.

If people want to "know a little more" about Worley then they can get off your butts and start to search for information to share with all of us.

Kenneth Worley was important to his friends, to his family and to America. If you don't yet get it, type your own name into internet search and then count the hits! Then type in the name Kenneth Lee Worley + Medal Of Honor, and get an education!

We should all be working like beavers to honor Famington's Orphan Marine!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_L._Worle...

Wikipedia has several pages on Lance Corporal Kenneth L. Worley, including one category: People from Farmington, New Mexico.

References to LCPL Worley in Wikipedia:
include... Who's Who in Marine Corps History

http://lcplworleyym.com/
This young marines unit is named for LCPL Kenneth L. Worley.

LCpl Kenneth L. Worley recieved the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism in Vietnam. He was a higly decorated hero who died in service of this country, which includes Farmington,(San Juan County) New Mexico.

Shouldn't the town, county & state... where
LCpl Kenneth L. Worley was born, went to school & spent some of his formative years: honor this heroic marine in an appropriate manner?

Old Veteran wrote:

How can someone opine that after waiting two decades to be recognized in the town where he was born , the hope for a memorial can be deemed rushing the cadence.
If people want to "know a little more" about Worley then they can get off your butts and start to search for information to share with all of us.
Kenneth Worley was important to his friends, to his family and to America. If you don't yet get it, type your own name into internet search and then count the hits! Then type in the name Kenneth Lee Worley + Medal Of Honor, and get an education!
We should all be working like beavers to honor Famington's Orphan Marine!

Any chance you belong to VFW or DAV... this needs an organization behind it...

As the CO and original charterer of the LCpl Kenneth L. Worley Young Marines, I would like to offer the services of the unit to commemorate any memorial the city deems worthy of Ken Worley. We would provide a Color Guard for the dedication, or whatever the city would like as a ceremony.
We have set ourselves up as a living memorial to LCpl Worley, and conduct a memorial service at his grave site each Memorial Day since we were founnded. Additionally, veterans groups in Orange County, CA have included Ken in the Medal of Honor Circle in Santa Ans, CA, along with the other Orange County recipients.

As to getting the VFW or DAV or other veterans organizations behind a memorial for Kenneth Lee Worley, it has been my pleasure to work at getting memorials accepted in the past, and while those fine organizations are willing to help it is best to begin with a small group of dedicated people who can do the organizing and conceptual work. I believe that getting the money will be the least of the problems.

Also please know that the Bunker Hill Memorial, The Washington Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial were planned and built by the government, and it took them about fifty years to complete each one. If we must wait half a century to see the memorial completed for Lance Corporal Worley I will be 128 years of age and Worley's son will be about 90 years old.

we can now see that the Kenneth Lee Worley quest is being persued in a number of places outside Farmington and is headed up by people who honor our Unsung Hero.

Please know that I am Bruce L Salisbury MSGT USAF Retired and I am pleased that 1st Sgt. Closson has been working to Honor Kenneth Lee Worley for a long time. I look forward to meeting the Young Marine Unit which is named for Lance Corporal Worley, when they come to Farmington for the "dedication".

Kenneth Lee Worley was a hero...it doesn't matter where he came from.....but it has been suggested that he came from Farmington....and Farmington should be proud to claim and to honor this hero.....I send packages to the soldiers every week.....most of them are not from San Juan County and most likely not from New Mexico, but a few have been from New Mexico......I don't care....they are all heroes to me and they all deserve to have someone thinking of them and doing for them as they do for us. Mayor Standley you really should find a way to honor this hero, and be proud to claim him as one of Farminton's finest .....

Forty years will have passed on 12 August since Lance Corporal Kenneth Worley died in an ambush at Bo Ban Hamlet, Vietnam. When he left New Mexico, he took with him the kind of character that ultimately results in heroic bravery. Whatever his life and experiences were in Farmington, that community and the people he encountered, family, friends, teachers, classmates, clergy, and neighbors helped shape the person he became. A town that recognizes its heroes, acknowledges itself. It is encouraging that there are residents in and near Farmington who want Ken Worley to be remembered. The Marines of Lima Company, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines who were with him when he died protecting companions from a grenade and the Young Marines in Bellflower, CA will certainly be remembering him.

shiprock boy wrote:

THIS STATEMENT IS OUTRAGEOUS MAYOR! "Mayor Standley said he needed more information about Worley before pushing for a memorial.
"I don't feel I can do it, until I find out more information, and if he's got strong ties or roots (to the community)," Standley said. He also wanted to know if Worley was recognized in other states"
LET'S GET ON THE BALL AND PROPERLY RECOGNIZE THIS BRAVE MARINE

Good, then get off your butt and do some research and find out more so we can do a fitting tribute instead of slamming the mayor for wanting to start a community drive.

The mayor should come up with a time frame to get his research done and then turn it over to a vote. I think the community would welcome a tribute or memorial to a hometown hero like Kenneth Worley. Beside, the research is already done.