Woodrow W. Keeble’s Silver Star citation

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the SILVER STAR MEDAL to

MASTER SERGEANT WOODROW WILSON KEEBLE,
UNITED STATES ARMY,

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

for courageous action while serving with Company G, 2d Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, in action near Chuk-Tong, Korea, on 18 October 1951. Master Sergeant Keeble’s company had the mission of taking and securing Objective “F,” one of a series of steep, wooded, enemy-held hills. As he led the assault platoon into the attack, the enemy placed the unit under murderous automatic weapons and small arms fire, thereby halting their advance, and was on the point of securing the objective when the enemy counter-attacked. The friendly troops, being low on ammunition, were forced to withdraw. When the support platoon replaced them, Master Sergeant Keeble, with complete disregard for his own safety, volunteered to lead it into the attack. Advancing well ahead of the other men, he fired an enemy automatic weapon from the hip until it ran out of ammunition, and then continued to deliver marching fire with his own rifle. The platoon, inspired by his fearlessness, quickly overran the objective and forced the enemy to flee in wild disorder, leaving 15 dead behind. Master Sergeant Keeble’s courageous action, exemplary leadership and selfless devotion to duty reflect the highest credit on himself and the United States Infantry.

 

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Born: May 16, 1917 in Waubay, S.D…. Home of Record: Wahpeton, N.D…. A full-blooded Dakota Indian, served alongside the Marines at Guadalcanal as part of the North Dakota 164th Infantry Regiment… Also awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and originally decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross (his Medal of Honor paperwork was lost) until he was posthumously awarded the MoH in 2008… Departed: Jan. 28, 1982… Interred: Lake Transverse Indian Reservation Cemetery, Sisseton, S.D.