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1st Lt Michael G. Kennedy attended the State University of Iowa and was employed as a mechanic.

He enlisted in the Regular Army on 15 November 1941 at Fort Des Moines, Iowa as an aviation cadet.

His squadron was based at Hardwick, Norfolk, England and 1st Lt Kennedy was part of the ten-man crew for the large aircraft B-24 serving as Navigator. He and his crew set out on their final flight, a bombing mission to the city of Bremen in Germany, over the North Sea, when they were close to the German border their plane was shot at by German planes. All crew members died when the plane, named “Queenie” went down into the North Sea.
It was November 13, 1943, the attacked aircraft was out of formation with the other planes flying. The pilot, Capt Ralph P Gewehr, realized his error and thought he turned back to rejoin the group of planes. At that time the B-24 was attacked by enemy aircraft. The #2 engine was on fire and the plane went into a cloud in a flat
spin. One of the wings may have been gone. The other planes in the formation could not tell 100% the events due to poor visibility and weather conditions. A report was filed January 12, 1944 by Capt John J. Hinch after a complete investigation.

His brother, Sgt Cecil F. Kennedy was killed in action on 16 June 1945 and is commemoriated on the Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial.