    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [March 3, 2008]
    [Pages 309-312]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Presenting Posthumously the Congressional Medal of Honor to
    Woodrow W. Keeble
    March 3, 2008

        The President. Welcome. Thanks for coming. Mr. Vice
    President, Mr. Secretary, members of the Dakotan congressional delegations, Senator
    from Alaska, other Members of
    Congress, members of my Cabinet, members of the administration, members
    of the United States Armed Forces, distinguished guests: Welcome to the
    White House.
        The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor a President can
    bestow. And I'm honored recipients of the Medal of Honor have joined us.
    Thank you for coming.
        During my time in office, I've had the privilege of performing this
    duty on nine

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    separate occasions. Every ceremony has been inspiring; many have been
    joyful; some have been poignant. But I'm not sure I can remember many
    ceremonies quite like this one.
        It's taken nearly 60 years for Master Sergeant Woodrow Wilson Keeble
    to be awarded the medal he earned on the battlefield in Korea. His
    nominating paperwork was lost, and then it was resubmitted, and then it
    was lost again. Then the deadline passed, and Woody and his family were
    told it was too late. Some blamed the bureaucracy for a shameful
    blunder; others suspected racism. Woody was a full-blooded Sioux Indian.
    Whatever the reason, the first Sioux to ever receive the Medal of Honor
    died without knowing it was his. A terrible injustice was done to a good
    man, to his family, and to history. And today we're going to try to set
    things right.
        Few people worked harder for this day than Woody's family. I thank
    the members who are with us, including his son Russell, who is accepting this award on their behalf, along
    with his cousin----
        Audience member. Nephew.
        The President. ----along with his nephew. I want to welcome you
    here. Thank you for supporting Woody. Thank you for your understanding,
    your patience, and, most of all, your persistence.
        I also offer special thanks to the determined delegations of North
    and South Dakota, including the Governor of North Dakota and the former Governor of South Dakota. Woody has ties to both Dakotas. Each State claims
    him as his own. [Laughter] I think I'm going to stay out of the
    argument. [Laughter] I want to thank you for carrying Woody's banner to
    the Pentagon and to the Halls of Congress. You did the right thing.
        It's easy to understand why so many people argued so passionately
    for the medal once you hear the story of what Woody Keeble did. This
    story unfolded at an important time in our history. The year was 1951.
    The world was divided by a cold war. America was under threat and, some
    believed, overmatched and out of heart. The great evil of communism was
    said to be the future of the world. It was on the advance in Europe and
    in China and on the Asian peninsula of Korea.
        On that peninsula, a battle raged between Communist forces in the
    North and the forces of freedom in the South. And Woody Keeble, a
    decorated veteran of Guadalcanal, raised his hand to serve his country
    once again. Woody said he volunteered for Korea because ``somebody had
    to teach those kids how to fight.'' And that's exactly what he did.
        In George Company, he quickly became a mentor, a teacher, and a
    legend. He was so strong that he could lift the back of a jeep and spin
    it around. Some people knew he had been scouted by the Chicago White
    Sox. He had a heck of an arm, and he threw grenades like a baseball. One
    soldier remembered the time Woody walked through a mine field, leaving
    tracks for his men to follow. Another recalled the time Woody was shot
    twice in the arm, and he kept fighting without seeming to notice.
        That fall, Woody's courage was on full display during a major
    offensive called Operation No Man [Nomad]. * His company was ordered to
    take a series of hills protecting a major enemy supply line. High up in
    those hills and manning machine guns were Chinese Communist forces.
    After days of fighting, the officers in Woody's company had fallen.
    Woody assumed command of one platoon, then a second, and then a third,
    until one of the hills was taken and the enemy fled in wild retreat.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        * White House correction.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        That first advance nearly killed him. By the end of the day, Woody
    had more than 83 grenade fragments in his body. He had bleeding wounds
    in his arms, chest, and thighs. And yet he still wanted to fight. So
    after a day with the medics, he defied

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    the doctor's orders and returned to the battlefield. And that is where,
    on October 20th, 1951, Master Sergeant Woodrow Wilson Keeble made
    history.
        Communist forces still held a crucial hill that was the pearl of
    their defenses. They had pinned down U.S. forces with a furious assault.
    One soldier said the enemy lobbed so many grenades
    on American troops that they looked like a flock of blackbirds in the
    sky. Allied forces had tried heavy artillery to dislodge the enemy, and
    nothing seemed to be working. The offense was failing, and American boys
    were dying. But our forces had one advantage; Woody was back, and Woody
    was some kind of mad.
        He grabbed grenades and his weapon and climbed that crucial hill
    alone. Woody climbed hundreds of yards through dirt and rock, with his
    wounds aching, bullets flying, and grenades falling all around him. As
    Woody first started off, someone saw him and remarked, ``Either he's the
    bravest soldier I have ever met, or he's crazy.'' Soldiers watched in
    awe as Woody singlehandedly took out one machine gun nest and then
    another. When Woody was through, all 16 enemy soldiers were dead, the
    hill was taken, and the Allies had won the day.
        Woody Keeble's act of heroism saved many American lives and earned
    him a permanent place in his fellow soldiers' hearts. Years later, some
    of those tough soldiers' eyes would fill with tears when they saw Woody
    again. One said, ``He was the most respected person I ever knew in my
    life.'' Another said, ``I would have followed him anywhere.'' A third
    said, ``He was awesome.'' Those brave boys battled tyranny, held the
    line against a Communist menace, and kept a nation free. And some of
    them are with us today. We are honored to host you at the White House.
    We thank you for your courage. We thank you for honoring your comrade in
    arms. And we thank you for your service to the United States.
        As the war ended, Woody went back to North Dakota. In some ways, his
    return was a sad one. Within a few years, his first wife died. He would
    suffer from numerous effects of the war. A series of strokes paralyzed
    his right side and robbed him of his ability to speak. And the wounds he
    sustained in service to his country would haunt him for the rest of his
    life.
        Yet Woody was not a bitter man. As a member of his family put it,
    ``Woody loved his country, loved his tribe, and loved God.'' Woody even
    found love again with a woman named Blossom. Woody may not have been
    able to speak, but he could still get a message across. He wrote a note
    asking Blossom to marry him. She told him she needed some time to think
    about it. So while she was deliberating, Woody put their engagement
    announcement in the newspaper. [Laughter] This is a man who was
    relentless in love as well as war. [Laughter]
        In his community, he was an everyday hero. Even in poor health, he
    would mow lawns for seniors in the summers and help cars out of the snow
    banks in the winters. He once picked up a hitchhiker who was down on his
    luck and looking for work. Woody wasn't a rich man, but he gave the man
    $50. Those who knew Woody can tell countless stories like this, one of a
    great soldier who became a Good Samaritan.
        To his last days, he was a devoted veteran. He proudly wore his
    uniform at local events and parades. Sometimes folks who loved him would
    see that uniform and ask him about his missing medal. They felt he was
    cheated, yet Woody never complained. See, he believed America was the
    greatest nation on Earth, even when it made mistakes. And there was
    never a single day he wasn't proud to have served our country.
        Woody suffered his eighth and final stroke in 1982. His son,
    Russell, took him to the hospital and prayed
    it wasn't the end. But Woody knew, and he wasn't afraid. Woodrow Wilson
    Keeble died in graceful anonymity, unknown except to the fortunate souls
    who loved him and those who learned from him. Russell puts it this way:
    ``Woody met death with a smile. He

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    taught me how to live, and he taught me how to die.''
        I am pleased that this good and honorable man is finally getting the
    recognition he deserves. But on behalf of our grateful Nation, I deeply
    regret that this tribute comes decades too late. Woody will never hold
    this medal in his hands or wear it on his uniform. He will never hear a
    President thank him for his heroism. He will never stand here to see the
    pride of his friends and loved ones, as I see in their eyes now.
        But there are some things we can still do for him. We can tell his
    story, and we can honor his memory. And we can follow his lead by
    showing all those who have followed him on the battlefield the same love
    and generosity of spirit that Woody showed his country every day.
        At the request of the Keeble family and in accordance with the Sioux
    tradition, two empty chairs have been placed on this stage to represent
    Woody and Blossom and to acknowledge their passing into the spiritual
    world. The Sioux have a saying: ``The life of a man is a circle.'' Well,
    today we complete Woody Keeble's circle, from an example to his men to
    an example for the ages. And if we honor his life and take lessons from
    his good and noble service, then Master Sergeant Woody Keeble will serve
    his country once again.
        I want to thank you all for coming. May I ask for God's blessings on
    you and Woody Keeble and the Keeble family. May God continue to bless
    our country. And now I ask Mr. Hawkins and
    Mr. Bluedog to join me. Commander
    Thompson will read the citation.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:35 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary of Defense Robert M.
    Gates; Sen. Theodore F. Stevens; former Gov. William J. Janklow of South
    Dakota; Gov. John Hoeven of North Dakota; and Russell Hawkins, stepson,
    and Kurt Bluedog, grandnephew, of Mr. Keeble. Following the President's
    remarks, Maj. Mark Thompson, USMC, Marine Corps Aide to the President,
    read the citation.