"On Monday at the White House, President Bush will present the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military honor, to a full blooded Sioux Indian from Wahpeton, North Dakota, Sgt. Woodrow Wilson Keeble. He will be the first Sioux Indian to receive the award in the history of our country.
“Woody,” as he was known, was a big, imposing man. A member of the Wahpeton Sisseton Sioux tribe, he was born in South Dakota and lived most of his life in Wahpeton, N.D.
Keeble will not be at the White House on Monday. He died 26 years ago. And his wife, Blossom, died last summer. So President Bush will present the Medal of Honor posthumously to a soldier whose story of courage and heroism is breathtaking.
Keeble was a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War. He joined the North Dakota National Guard in 1942 and late in that year was fighting in what was called some of the most difficult hand to hand combat in WWII at Guadalcanal. He earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star at Guadalcanal.
At age 34 he went to war again in Korea where he earned the Distinguished Service Cross, three more Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for his courage."
Get the Story:Sen. Byron Dorgan: White House honor for N.D. hero (The Jamestown Sun 2/27)
pwpwd Appropriations Act:
H.R.2206 | Summary | Detailed Summary | President's Statement on Congressional Passage of the War Supplemental Relevant Links:
National Native American Veterans Association - http://www.nnava.org Related Stories:
Editorial: Long overdue honor for Master Sgt. Keeble (2/26)
Late Dakota veteran to receive Medal of Honor (2/22)
Late Dakota veteran closer to Medal of Honor (12/11)
Bush urged to award medal to Dakota veteran (8/16)
Medal of Honor cleared for Native veteran (5/29)
Bill with medal for Native soldier sent to Bush (04/27)
House passes bill with medal for Native veteran (4/26)
Medal of Honor nears for Sisseton-Wahpeton soldier (4/24)
Column: Medal of Honor for Sisseton-Wahpeton vet (03/30)
Bill to award medal to Sisseton-Wahpeton vet (3/28)
Opinion: Sisseton-Wahpeton vet deserved honor (03/12)
Yellow Bird: Woody Keeble a true American hero (03/05)
Viewpoint: Overdue honor for Sisseton-Wahpeton vet (3/2)
Interview: Woody Keeble, a hero of two wars (2/26)
Editorial: Medal of Honor for Sioux veteran (06/14)
Native veteran recommended for Medal of Honor (06/01)
Native veteran to receive replacement medals (5/29)
Sen. Johnson: Long overdue honor for Native soldier (04/28)
Medal of Honor sought for Sisseton-Wahpeton vet (02/28)
