 |
| Lt. Julian Keith earned the Distinguished Service Cross at the Battle ofAttu. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92475169 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/32nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States) |
Julian was born on November 21, 1918 in Sallis, Mississippi. His father Ether, a farmer, was born in Mississippi, as was his mother Addie. He had one older brother and one older sister. As a youth, Julian spent some time in a tuberculosis sanitarium. He later attended one year at Mississippi College and was a member of the Mississippi National Guard.
His unit was called to active duty in December 1940 and after training was assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He married Elaine Marsalis of Jackson, Mississippi on September 24, 1942.
The 7th Infantry Division first saw combat in the spring of 1943 in the amphibious assault on Attu Island, the western-most Japanese entrenchment in the Aleutian islands chain, where they fought an intense battle over the tundra against strong Japanese resistance. The fight for the island culminated in a battle at Chichagof Harbor on May 29, 1943 when the division destroyed all Japanese resistance on the island. At one point during the battle, the 2nd Battalion was in danger of being overrun by the enemy and was taking fire from an enemy heavy machine gun. Lt. Keith repeatedly took an exposed position to engage the crew of the machine gun with automatic rifle fire. Two times he knocked the enemy gun crew out of action only to see the crew replaced. He engaged a third time and put that crew out of action but was mortally wounded in the act.
For his actions that day, Lt. Keith was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Silver Star, and Distinguished Service Cross. The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army.
Lt. Keith’s citation for the DSC reads:
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Julian D. Keith (0-1293420), Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion, 32d Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces on 29 May 1943, in the vicinity of Attu, Alaska.
Second Lieutenant Keith's intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty at the cost of his life, exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 7th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.
Julian Donaldson Keith is buried in Lakewood Memorial Park in Jackson, Mississippi. His wife later remarried and died in 1999 in Florida.
Thank you Julian for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Julian.
_____
This profile was written by Bob Fuerst. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them."
Last year on this date I profiled Lt. William Jacobs of the Philippine Scouts. You can read about William here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
WW2 Fallen 100 is supported by
The Greatest GENERATIONS Foundation
“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”
This Mississippi Man gave his all a long way from home. These battles did not get the press as some of the other Pacific campaigns, but just as vital to deny the Japanese. Rest in Peace.
ReplyDelete