First full blood Sioux to receive the MOH 60yrs after his action

[darius359au]

This is one of the most amazing acts of Bravery Ive ever read

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/...ml?ESRC=dod.nl

Just the fist bunker would have been enough for a Medal of Honour.

[kiwi_2005]

Good on him

[bradclark1]

Pity it took 26 years after his death to get it though. Paperwork that was originally submitted twice but got lost was probably lost because he was an indian.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by bradclark1

Pity it took 26 years after his death to get it though. Paperwork that was originally submitted twice but got lost was probably lost because he was an indian.

Man - don't assume. Another friggen conspiracy theory. Please spare us.

-S

[mrbeast]

It is a shame that he never got the full recognition he deserved in his lifetime. To take out those bunkers and recieve the wounds he did is amazing.

It never ceases to surprise me how ordinary and self effacing people who carry out such extraordinary acts, like Keeble, are. My great gandfather, who served in the trenches in WWI (with the 4th 'Kings Own' Regiment) always said that the bravest officer he ever saw wasn't a dashing swashbuckling type but a short, balding, rather chubby man who wore glasses!

The family's battle to upgrade Keeble's Distinguished Service Cross to the Medal of Honor began in 1972, when both Woody and his wife, Dr. Blossom Hawkins-Keeble, were still alive. According to Hawkins, the family unknowingly started off in the wrong direction. "We thought the paperwork had been lost, but were unaware that it no longer existed. It didn't just get lost on the battlefield, it never made it off the battlefield."

It might have just been beaurocratic incompetance but it does sound suspicous that two sets of paperwork were lost, when he authorities were clearly aware of Keeble's bravery. I guess we will probably never know.

[Jimbuna]

Exceedingly brave.....rest in peace sir.

[bradclark1]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Man - don't assume. Another friggen conspiracy theory. Please spare us.

-S

MOH paperwork doesn't get lost unless people want to make it lost. Race was still a big issue for the military during that time. So yeah, I think it's a pretty good theory.

[sunvalleyslim]

Originally Posted by bradclark1

MOH paperwork doesn't get lost unless people want to make it lost. Race was still a big issue for the military during that time. So yeah, I think it's a pretty good theory.

Reading the story makes me believe that it was lost on the battle field. If it had gone up the chain of command and got lost then I would believe your theory Brad.
But I would tend to believe if you've been in battle yourself with comrades, you wouldn't care what color or creed he is.......Moving around from battle front to battle front could get things lost................JMHO

[bradclark1]

Originally Posted by sunvalleyslim

Reading the story makes me believe that it was lost on the battle field. If it had gone up the chain of command and got lost then I would believe your theory Brad.
But I would tend to believe if you've been in battle yourself with comrades, you wouldn't care what color or creed he is.......Moving around from battle front to battle front could get things lost................JMHO

The key to that is "comrades". That award request has to go up every level of command to the approving authority. The military history up to Vietnam had racism/bigotry issues in all levels of command. So it could have been trashed at Battalion, Brigade, Division, Corps, Army, DA, or Pentagon. Once, you might twist my arm to believe "lost". Twice? No way.

Here is a thread on the issue in fact in a military.com forum where I'm not alone in that thought.
http://forums.military.com/1/OpenTop...162632,00.html