Woodrow Wilson Keeble Honored with Medal of Honor

Today, the highest US military honor was bestowed upon Woodrow Wilson Keeble. In 1951, on the Korean peninsula, Master Sergeant Keeble had returned to battle against doctor's orders. Keeble had just been with the medics, when they removed some of the 83 grenade fragments from his body. But the allies were pinned down and taking heavy fire from a hill. They needed to take this hill, so alone and still wounded, Keeble charged the hill, and in the end, the dead bodies of 16 enemies surrounded him.

The Medal of Honor is the highest military award for valor given by the United States. It requires such courage, that most recipients are recognized post-humosly. I was fortunate enough to have served with a man who earned this honor, albeit he made this ultimate sacrifice after I had already left the military. He was Sergeant first class Randall Shugart. He died on the third day of October 1993, in Somalia.

As a sniper assisting in the rescue at a crash site of two helicopters, he volunteered to move near the wounded men and protect them until more reinforcements arrived. He was defending these wounded men when he and his team leader experienced a full assault from the enemy soldiers. He returned fire and killed an unknown number of enemies until he ran out of ammunition, and was killed.

This is something I would have expected from him, even though I did not like him. 5 years before this, I was sharing a barracks with him and about 20 other testosterone-filled men. When you live this closely with others, and have less privacy than a con in prison, attitudes can become strained. This had happened several times between Randy and me.

So, on a certain evening we had it out. I have no memory of why things came to blows that night. Most likely nothing, just some words fueled by alcohol and cramped quarters. After he had bloodied my nose and I had landed a few good punches to his face, someone stepped in and broke things up. We calmed down at different ends of the barracks, and probably in my case, I resumed drinking.

The next day we loaded up onto Humvees and left to do some rappelling training. As we were geared up, we lined up to partner with each other. This is not like school where you try to pick someone you like. In the Army, you just "fall in". As luck would have it, I lined up across from Randy. I was to rappel first and he would belay me. For those not familiar with this term, he was the one responsible to stop me if I screwed up and went into a free fall. Do you think I was worried to have this man, with whom just last night it had come to blows, belay me? Nope. The thought never occurred. I hated him. I also knew he was a true professional. A good soldier. I think that might be the highest compliment I can give him. He was a good soldier, and I trusted him with my life.

I was not surprised to learn that Randall Shugart received The Medal of Honor. If I had been with him on that fateful day in Somalia, I would not have liked him. However, I would have been proud to fight beside him.

More information: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/03/20080303-3.html