A World War II veteran who died in a prisoner-of-war camp was finally laid to rest 84 years later at Fort Smith National Cemetery. William Keele was not from Arkansas, but veterans, firefighters, and other community members gathered to honor his service and sacrifice.
Life and Service
Keele was born in Tennessee in 1917 and enlisted in the Army when he was 22. He was captured during the fall of the Philippines in April 1942 and forced to endure the Bataan Death March. Prisoners were made to march 65 miles under brutal conditions 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. The flag draped over Keele’s casket was presented to his only surviving immediate relative, a half-sister who lives in Sebastian County, Arkansas.
Burial Ceremony
According to Richard McKinney, who presided over the burial ceremony, 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.
Original reporting: KOAT Albuquerque — read the source article.
