A World War II veteran who died in a prisoner-of-war camp is finally laid to rest 84 years later at Fort Smith National Cemetery. William Keele, a veteran from Tennessee, was honored by the community in a ceremony that included veterans, firefighters, and bagpipes.
Honoring a Fallen Hero
Keele was born in 1917 and enlisted in the Army at age 22. He was captured during the fall of the Philippines in April 1942 and forced to endure the Bataan Death March, a brutal 65-mile march with little food, water, or medical care. Keele survived the march but died a few months later in a prisoner-of-war camp. He was buried in a common grave identified as No. 316, with his name written on a condensed milk can.
The flag draped over Keele’s casket was presented to his only surviving immediate relative, a half-sister who lives near Huntington in Sebastian County. According to ceremony officiant Richard McKinney, Keele’s sister did not know she had a brother until the military contacted her after receiving DNA results.
Keele received top military honors at the ceremony as veterans fulfilled their commitment to bring a fallen service member home. The community came together to honor Keele’s service and sacrifice, with firefighters flying the American flag and veterans leading the procession to the cemetery.
Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.
