Kenneth Earl Russell Sr. was born on July 29, 1924, in Englewood, McMinn County, Tennessee. He was the son of Sarah Anna Bernice Price Floyd. He was the husband of Dorothy Jean Vineyard Russell. They had a child namely Kenneth E. Russell Jr. Kenneth served in Company F, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, as a Private during World War II.

On the night before D-Day, June 6, 1944, American paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division were deployed near Sainte-Mère-Église, France. The town had recently been attacked, and a fire ignited by a stray bomb had drawn German soldiers and villagers into the town square to form a bucket brigade. The area was well-lit due to the fire, and when two planes mistakenly dropped paratroopers directly over the village, they became exposed and easy targets for the Germans.

Among the paratroopers was Pvt Russell, whose parachute landed on the church roof. He landed safely and escaped. Pvt Russell died on June 6, 2004, on the 60th Anniversary of D-Day. He is now buried in the Magnolia Cemetery, Maryville, Blount County, Tennessee, USA. Pvt Russell was awarded the Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, and Purple Hearts in recognition of his bravery and sacrifices.