|
ROBERT CLINTON KEELER
Feb. 14, 1919 — April 15, 2009
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 was born Feb. 14, 1919 on a farm near Armel in
eastern Colorado. His parents were Harry Keeler and Nell
Browning Keeler. Following high school Mr. Keeler
enrolled at Colorado A&M, now Colorado State Univ., to
study forestry.
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.
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. 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 was a forward observer and on April
16, 1945, he was on the outskirts of Achen, Germany. Mr.
Keeler began radioing back instructions on where to fire
artillery shells to take out the cannon and the tank. A
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. 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. Where he met Barbara Wallace of Cleveland,
Ohio. They were married in the hospital chapel on June
4, 1946.
After his release from the hospital, Mr. Keeler
applied for a job at one of the two newspapers in Wray.
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 bought the Longmont Ledger, the oldest
newspaper in Boulder County, established in 1879. He
continued to publish the Ledger until 1972. 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 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, an Elks charity benefiting
mentally challenged children, 5100 Lincoln Street,
Denver, CO 80216 or the youth program at First United
Methodist Church, 350 11th Avenue, Longmont, CO 80501. |
