THE WALL OF FACES

MGEN Keith L. Ware, USA

Lt Audie Murphy (MOH) saves Lt Col Ware's (MOH) life in the 3rd Inf. Div.

http://www.audiemurphy.com/news14.htm

MAJOR GENERAL


KEITH LINCOLN WARE


who was serving as the


COMMANDING GENERAL


of the


1st INFANTRY DIVISION


" THE BIG RED ONE "



~~~ CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR ~~~



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



ON 13 SEPTEMBER 1968

THE 52-YEAR-OLD MAJOR GENERAL,

WHO HAD JOINED THE ARMY AS A DRAFTEE

IN WORLD WAR TWO, BECAME ONE OF THE FOUR

AMERICAN COMMANDING GENERAL OFFICERS TO BE

KILLED IN ACTION

IN THE VIETNAM WAR WHEN HIS COMMAND HELICOPTER

CRASHED IN FLAMES NEAR THE BORDER OF CAMBODIA.


THERE WERE NO SURVIVORS AMONG THE EIGHT ONBOARD

WHICH INCLUDED THREE OF HIS TOP STAFF OFFICERS

AND FOUR FLIGHT CREWMEMBERS.


ALSO LOST WAS " KING " THE GREAT WHITE GERMAN

SHEPHERD GIVEN TO GENERAL WARE BY MEMBERS

OF HIS LONG RANGE RECONNAISSANCE GROUP.

KING WENT EVERYWHERE WITH GENERAL WARE

IN HIS TRAVELS ALL OVER VIETNAM.


IT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY KNOWN WHETHER THIS

AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN SHOT DOWN BY ENEMY FIRE AS

THERE WAS NO GROUND ACTION IN THE IMMEDIATE

AREA AT THAT TIME.


THE HELICOPTER CRASHED IN DENSE JUNGLE GROWTH

ABOUT SEVEN MILES SOUTH OF THE BORDER OF CAMBODIA,

THREE MILES FROM LOC NINH AND THE BODIES OF ALL

ONBOARD WERE RECOVERED.


THERE REMAINS SOME SUSPICION THAT THIS AIRCRAFT

WAS ACTUALLY IN CAMBODIA AND THIS FLIGHT WAS

COVERED UP DUE TO THE FACT THAT AMERICAN TROOPS

WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN CAMBODIA AT THAT TIME.


TODAY, MAJOR GENERAL KEITH LINCOLN WARE

RESTS IN HONORED GLORY IN SECTION 30-258-3 OF

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY.



"WHERE VALOR PROUDLY SLEEPS"



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



HIS MILITARY DECORATIONS INCLUDE -


THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR

THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS

THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL

THE SILVER STAR MEDAL

THE LEGION OF MERIT

THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL

THE AIR MEDAL

THE ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL

THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL


HE WAS ENTITLED TO WEAR THE

COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE

ABOVE HIS MILITARY RIBBONS





THE PROUD YOUNG VALOR THAT ROSE ABOVE THE MORTAL

AND THEN, AT LAST, WAS MORTAL AFTER ALL





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE





3-6-1999

MAJOR GENERAL


KEITH LINCOLN WARE


was awarded the


CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR


for his heroic actions

while he was a


Lieutenant Colonel


and


Battalion Commander


of the


1st Battalion

15th Infantry

3rd Infantry Division


" The Rock of the Marne "


************************************************************


CITATION


FOR AWARD OF THE


CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR



near SIGOLSHEIM, FRANCE


26 December 1944



Commanding the 1st Battalion attacking a strongly held enemy position
on a hill near Sigolsheim, France, on 26 December 1944, Lieutenant
Colonel Ware found that one of his assault companies had been stopped
and forced to dig in by a concentration of enemy artillery, mortar,
and machine-gun fire. The company had suffered casualties in
attempting to take the hill. Realizing that his men must be inspired
to new courage, LTC Ware went forward 150 yards beyond the most forward
elements of his command, and for two hours reconnoitered the enemy
positions, deliberately drawing fire upon himself which caused the enemy
to disclose his dispositions. Returning to his company, he armed himself
with an automatic rifle and boldly advanced upon the enemy, followed
by two officers, nine enlisted men, and a tank. Approaching an enemy
machine-gun, LTC Ware shot two German riflemen and fired tracers into the
emplacement, indicating its position to the tank, which promptly knocked
the gun out of action. LTC Ware turned his attention to a second machine-gun,
killing two of its supporting riflemen and forcing the others to surrender.
The tank destroyed the gun. Having expended the ammunition for the
automatic rifle, LTC Ware took up an M-1 rifle, killed a German rifleman,
and fired upon a third machine-gun 50 yards away. His tank silenced
the gun. Upon his approach to a fourth machine-gun, its supporting
riflemen surrendered and his tank disposed of the gun. During this
action LTC Ware's small assault group was fully engaged in attacking
enemy positions that were not receiving his direct and personal
attention.

Five of his party of 11 were casualties and LTC Ware was wounded,
but refused medical attention until this important hill position was
cleared of the enemy and securely occupied by his command.


He was presented with the

CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR

on 23 April 1945

at Zepman Stadium

in

Nuremburg, Germany

by

Lieutenant General

Alexander McCarrell Patch III

Commanding General

of the

US 7th Army

in Europe

I SERVED WITH MG WARE DURING THE TET OFFENSIVE IN 1968. I FIRST MET HIM WHEN I WAS FIELD FORCE VICTOR AIR LIASON OFFICER AT LONG BIEN.MG WARE WAS II FFV DEPUTY CG. MG WARE AND I WERE SENT TO SAIGON WHILE THE US ARMY REACQUIRED THE DEFENSE OF SAIGON AFTER THE TET OFFENSIVE. I WAS HIS AIR LIASON OFFICER DURING THAT PERIOD. BEFORE I ROTATED, HE ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE BIG RED ONE, AND I FLEW UP TO DIVISION HEADQUARTERS TO PAY MY RESPECTS BEFORE I ROTATED. HE HAD RESCUED ONE OF THE WAR DOGS IN HIS DIVISION, RATHER THAN HAVE THE DOG DESTROYED BECAUSE HIS HANDLER WAS ROTATING. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL GERMAN SHEPHERD, AND MGEN WARE WAS SO BONDED TO THAT DOG, IT WAS INCREDIBLE. SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER I GOT HOME FROM SEA I RECEIVED WORD THAT MG WARE AND HIS BELOVED DOG HAD PERISHED WHEN SHOT DOWN IN THE C&C CHOPPER. I CRIED FOR A LONG TIME