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Pvt Harold H. Kahmann attended Windsor High School for two years and worked in a shoe factory before he enlisted at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on 2 June 1944. He received his basic training at Camp Fannin, Texas and Camp Butner, North Carolina.

On 23 July 1945, his company commander, Capt Robert M. Johnson, wrote a letter to Pvt Kahmann's parents, explaining what happened on that tragic day:
"Camp Lucky Strike, France 23 July 1945,
A delay in answering your letter of 12 June was caused by my absence from the unit. I am very surprised that you had not heard from me for I wrote you late in April. As to giving you details in regard to what happened to your son I shall try my best. Your son was a member of a machine gun squad in the 1st platoon of the companies. Our battalion was given the mission to cross the Rhine river on the 26th of March and establish a bridgehead on the East bank of the river near Whittlich, Germany. The platoon of which your son was a member was to cross the river in one of the initial waves of boats. The crossing started at about 0200 on the 26th of March. The boats came under heavy fire from the Germans. The boat your son was in capsized. A rescue boat went out into the river to help the men. All the men that could be found were brought ashore, several of the men that were rescued state that Harold was with them when they started across. We continued to fight in attempt to establish the bridgehead till late in the afternoon. In the morning I got a report that several men were missing. Your son was one of them. I had a search made among those who had been killed, checked the record of the wounded evacuated and searched along the river banks, no trace of your son could be found. When the battle was over we again searched along the river. I checked all the sources I knew of. I reported your son as missing in action. Harold was an excellent soldier. All the men of his platoon thought the world of him.

Sincerely yours, Capt Robert M. Johnson"