Henry Russell Kenyon, Jr., was born 4 February 1916 in Bronxville, New York, and enlisted in the United States Navy on 5 November 1940. He was discharged in 1941 to accept an appointment as Aviation Cadet and was commissioned Ensign on 4 August 1941. After undergoing advanced flight training Kenyon joined Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) for duty in the Pacific.