Robert C. Keeler

Awarded Distinguished Service CrossRobert C. Keeler, WWII hero, dies Robert Clinton Keeler, one of Colorado's outstanding heroes of World War II, died Wednesday, April 15 at the Broomfield Care Center in Broomfield, CO. He was 90.Mr. Keeler was a former publisher of the Longmont Ledger, a weekly newspaper. He operated the paper with a partner from 1954 to 1966; then became the sole owner. He was born Feb. 14, 1919 on a farm near Armel in eastern Colorado. His parents were Harry Keeler and Nell Browning Keeler. He was a descendant of the pilgrim John Alden, who came to the New World on the Mayflower. He also was a nephew of one of the principals of the old Tyler-Keeler-Wadsworth (TKW) department store, an early-day dry goods store in Longmont. He attended a one-room country school, and graduated from Armel, Colo. High School. His graduating class consisted of six students, three boys and three girls, Mr. Keeler and his sister, Doris, rode a horse to school. Following high school Mr. Keeler enrolled at Colorado A&M, now Colorado State Univ., to study forestry. His studies were interrupted by World War II and the army. He took basic training at Camp Roberts, California, and was trained as a specialist in the use of instruments for survey work. Mr. Keeler then took and passed tests for the paratroopers, but was called to duty in his specialty the day before being accepted into the paratroopers. Mr. Keeler served in Panama before he returned to the U.S. to train for the war in Europe. He landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy on D-Day plus 1, the second day after the primary invasion.He once related the story that his first three Christmases in the service were not so good. The first was in 1942 on a ship off the coast of Cuba, where all aboard were sickened on spoiled turkey. The second was on a ship leaving New York harbor, when the ship caught fire. The third, in 1944, was at the Battle of the Bulge, one of the most decisive battles in the European ground war. He noted that the fourth Christmas, in 1945, his luck changed and he became engaged to the former Barbara Wallace of Cleveland, Ohio.Mr. Keeler was a technical sergeant at the time of the invasion. During the fighting in Belgium he was given a field commission as a 2nd lieutenant. Although his unit officially was the 87th Field Artillery Battalion, he was attached to other units during the war. During the Battle of the Bulge he was a part of the 101st Airborne. Despite some very close calls, he went through most of the war without being wounded. On one occasion a bullet left a 2-inch hole on the side of his steel helmet, but did not penetrate the helmet liner. On another occasion, a bullet went through the windshield of a jeep and passed between him and a sergeant. Mr. Keeler's job as a forward observer was one of the most dangerous in the army. He would make his way, usually crawling, in front of his own unit to survey the landscape ahead and report back on his walkie-talkie radio what he observed. On April 16, 1945, he was attached to an infantry division, on the outskirts of Achen, Germany. On that day he and an infantryman crawled to a slight rise in the terrain in order to spot the enemy. They observed a gun emplacement and a German Tiger tank situated to defend the city from the advancing Americans. Mr. Keeler and his fellow soldier began radioing back instructions on where to fire artillery shells to take out the cannon and the tank. The cannon was the ""88"", the most feared artillery piece in the German army. It was apparent to the Germans that their first response to the American artillery was to take out the men who were directing fire on their positions. One of their first shells wounded the infantryman in the shoulder. He crawled back to his unit to be treated for his wounds, leaving Lt. Keeler alone at his observation position. Artillery fire usually is bracketed, with some shells to the left or right or in front or behind, until the precise target is hit. Shortly after the infantryman was wounded, another shell from the German 88 landed almost directly upon the observation position where Lt. Keeler was situated. The exploding shell shattered his legs. Despite his severe wounds, Lt. Keeler continued to direct fire on the enemy's positions. However, the battle between the two opposing forces was so intense that the Americans did not fight their way to Lt. Keeler's observation position until 24 hours later. By that time gangrene had set into his leg wounds and both legs were amputated, one above the knee and one below. The Germans surrendered three weeks later, on May 8, 1945.For his courage and valor under extreme conditions, Lt. Keeler was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second highest military decoration. He also was awarded the Legion of Valor by the French government, an honor bestowed only on those who had earned the DSC or the Medal of Honor. In addition, he received Five Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.He was sent to Percy Jones Army Hospital in Battle Creek, Mich. He was in the bed next to a wounded paratrooper who was paralyzed from the waist down. The soldier was Stanley Wise, the brother-in-law of Barbara Wallace, who met Lt. Keeler during a visit to the hospital. She was in nurse's training at the time at Cleveland and was later to become Lt. Keeler's wife. They were married in the hospital chapel on June 4, 1946. Barbara was a daughter of Fred B. and Lelah Proxmire Wallace. Mrs. Wallace was a cousin of the late U.S. Sen. William Proxmire of Ohio. Mr. Keeler's first job was as a bailiff at a murder trial in the county court- house. That was a temporary position and he was soon out of work. At Barbara's suggestion he applied for a job at one of the two newspapers in Wray. The Rattler hired Mr. Keeler on the spot. That was the beginning of Mr. Keeler's career in the printing and newspaper business. In 1951 he began working at the Times-Call in Longmont, Colo. In January, 1954, he and a former co-worker, Gerald Archuleta, bought the weekly Longmont Ledger, the oldest newspaper in Boulder County, established in 1879. He continued to publish the Ledger until 1972, when new operators leased the equipment and changed the name to ""The Scene"". That paper soon folded and Mr. Keeler sold the printing equipment. He then went to work at the printing and publications department of the University of Colorado in Boulder. He worked there more than 20 years, until his retirement in 1992. Mr. Keeler was active in community affairs. In 1954 he was appointed by the governor as a member of the first Anti-Discrimination Commission. He later was appointed to the board of the School of Corrections at Golden, Colo. He also was commander of Post 2601 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, exalted ruler of Longmont Elks Lodge 1055, a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans and the American Legion, president of the Golden K Kiwanis Club of Longmont, a 32-degree Mason, the Last Man's Club and a member of the United Methodist Church of Longmont. Bob is also listed in the Who's Who in Colorado.Mr. Keeler was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Barbara; his daughter Laurie Rademacher; a sister, Doris Kroeger; and two brothers: Clifford and William Keeler. Bob is survived by two daughters: Sandi Keeler of Overland Park, Kansas and Sally and her husband, Dr. Tom Dodd of Poplar Bluff, Missouri; seven grandchildren: Megan Clark, Chad King, Ellie Waxman, Courtney Dodd, Matthew Dodd, Adam Rademacher and Jessica Barrera; six great grandchildren; three brothers: Lyle Keeler of Citrus Heights, California, Gene Keeler of Wray, Colorado; and Walter Keeler of Lorena, Texas; two sisters: Kay Atwood of Westminster, Colorado and Phyllis Adamson of Wray; along with many nieces, nephews and friends.Visitation will be held on Monday, April 20 at Howe Mortuary from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 21 at 11:00 a.m. at Longmont First United Methodist Church. Burial with military honors will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.The family request memorials in lieu of flowers be given to Laradon Hall, 5100 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO 80216 or the UMYF program at First United Methodist Church, 350 11th Avenue, Longmont, CO 80501.