During World War 2, the Newark News assigned Kennett to Newark's famed Essex Troop. the 102nd Cavalry Regiment, as its war correspondent. As the troopship was about to depart for England before Kennett's assignment could be cleared by military 'higher-ups', Kennett reportedly boarded and 'stowed away' on the troopship, and, by the time his clearance came through, he was already in England and writing his reports for the Newark News.

Frank L. Carlone provided me with this wartime Kennett anecdote. Among the memorabilia of the Essex Troop is a photo of a German military vehicle that Kennett had for his personal use while following the Regiment through Europe. The men of the Regiment had captured a German Military Volkswagen and presented it to him after the Regiment entered Paris. The photo shows the vehicle with the bumper markings reading "Newark Evening News."