Thanks to everyone who joined on the Zoom this past Sunday, Nov. 9. We had cousins from coast to coast and from age 5 to age 95 on the call. We took a look at several veterans from our family, focusing on World War 1, World War 2, and the Korean War.
Searching for Military Records
There are many ways to find out information about our ancestors who served in the military. Ancestry.com has a military database to search and you can find out a lot of information. I have found that draft enrollment cards, as well as VA files, and applications for military headstones. For example, here is my grandfather, Louis J. Keating's, WWII draft enrollment card. I also found Joseph Motier's application for a headstone.
Cousin JoAnn Brennan recommends the Fold3 database for searching military files. Fold3 is available through Ancestry.com for an extra fee or with FamilySearch or at LDS research centers.
The National Archives is another great place to search for records. Direct descendants can get a veteran's entire military file, called the OMPF (Official Military Personel File) from the National Archives. You need to show your connection to the veteran and then request their files. Here is the link to do that: National Archives Veterans' Service Records.
Of course, the richest way to remember our veterans is through family photos and letters. I have been privileged to have access to letters and photos from my grandfather, Louis J. Keating, and his brother Rev. Laurence H. Keating. I am delighted with any photos that we can share.
World War I
We had a slew of Motie Cousins who served in World War I. Let's start with a female ancestor, Elizabeth Fayle 1878-1954. Elizabeth was the daughter of Louise Motie Fayle (1850-1920), one of the Motie siblings from who we are all descended.Elizabeth graduated from Bellevue Hospital nursing program in 1908. She served in the Red Cross as a nurse stationed at Camp Pike in Little Rock, AK. Camp Pike was a training center for the U.S. Army 87th Division. Here is a photo of Elizabeth and an article from The Muscatine Journal, Friday, April 12, 1918.
Here is a group photo of Motie cousins taken in Chicago around 1914, before America's entry to World War I. This photo includes several cousins who went on to serve in the war, including. Edward M. Keating, Louis J. Keating, Charlie Ward, Damian Ward, Joseph Gillooley, and Frank Gillooley.
Brothers Charlie and Damian Ward both served in the Army as part of the AEF (American Expeditionary Force). Charlie was already in France by April 1918. Damian was part of the 86th Infantry known as "Black Hawk." Damian was also stationed in France.
Joseph Motier, the son of George Motier and Mary Keating Motier, enlisted from 1916-1919 and was a cook with the Army's 108th supply train.
Joseph Gillooley and Francis (Frank) Gillooley were both privates in the Army. Joseph was with the 8th Heavy Machinery Shop (8HMORS) and Frank was with the 108 engineers, 33rd Division, Company C. The Gillolley brothers were enlisted from 1917-1919.
My dad's uncle, Edward M. Keating, served with the Navy during WWI. He was stationed in New Jersey and seems to have escorted troops from New Jersey to France.
My grandpa, Louis J. Keating, was in the Army Battery A, 122nd Field Artillery. He arrived in France by early July 1918.
We are lucky enough to have several letters that he wrote home from the war. Here is a picture of his letter. It reads:
Dear Mother:
At last I have time to sit down and write a long letter. We have had a wonderful trip from the first and everything thing has been fine. We travelled for a while in the French trains and every time we stopped we would try our French on the people. The people are a jolly bunch and would laugh when some one would try to pronounce some of the strange names.
When we marched through the streets of one town on way to one of the so called “rest-camps”, where we never got any rest, the kids in the street would run out and ask for pennies and hard tack, bisquit, they called them.
It is lucky you lent me that money before I left as we have not been paid since we left Camp Logan but expect it any time now.
When we arrived at our training camp the barracks were filled so we billeted in the towns near the camp. The towns are only about two or three miles apart here, just small villages. Our billet is the hay loft in a barn over the farm machinery and is a swell place, we call it the Hotel de Hayloft. The billet next to us is the Hotel de manure named after a prominent spot near the billet.
I am going to learn French if I can’t do anything else. There is a Catholic Church in town and can go to Mass every Sunday. The organ was taken out of the church during the war for the metal and instead of the organ for High Mass the people all hum. It seemed rather strange at first but it is France.
We practice on the guns regular part of the battery goes out for hike and the rest has drill. Yesterday, the Fourth, we had a great celebration. The French Government declared a national holiday. The Colonel got the regiment together and we had a field day. The Mayor of the town came out and you should have seen him, he weighed about 300 pounds and had a little fat face and a short white mustache and goatee he looked like this (drawing) he had a plug hat and a dress suit and wore a wide red white and blue ribbon across his vest like a foreign ambassador or something.
Mary should have seen him and drawn his picture. This is a wonderful country here, pretty as a picture and the roads are perfect, lined with trees just like the pictures you used to see. Everything here reminds me of our old geography its houses, the kids and even the ox teams.
Here is an undated photo of my grandpa with his friend, Ray O'Leary. This photo may be from 1917 in Texas based on their uniforms.
World War II
Two of the Keating brothers served in World War II. In this photo taken around 1933, brothers John, Edward, Geoff, and Laurence play cards after mass. John and Laurence later served in WWII.
John enlisted from April 9, 1945-December 8, 1945. He was already in his 30s and had three young children at home. He was sent to San Francisco for training. Obviously, he would have been involved in the Pacific theater had the War continued. I couldn't find other records for John, but below is his draft registration card.
Father Laurence enlisted in March 1941. He was part of the 7th armored division serving as a Catholic Chaplin. He arrived in England in June 17, 1944 as part of the second wave of D-Day. Laurence traveled in France, Netherlands, and Holland. He was involved in the Battle of the Bulge at the town of St. Vith.
Laurence received numerous awards for his service including, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, American Defense Ribbon, and the EAME Theater Ribbon.
Laurence is on the far left. This photo was likely taken around 1943. Notice the flag only has 48 stars!
Korean War
My dad and his brothers each served in the military during the Korean War.
This photo from 1953 shows Naval Officers Edward M. Keating and Louis J. Keating at Pearl Harbor.
My uncle, John Richard Keating, served as an officer with the Marine Corps from 1953-1965.
Finally, my uncle, Thomas Joseph Keating, served with the Coast Guard.
We are all grateful for and proud of our many Veterans in the family!
Thanks to Petra Steele, Tim O'Brien, Paula Keating, and Mary Ann Baker for photos and anecdotes. Thanks to my dad, cousin Brian, JoAnn Brennan, and Tim O'Brien for helping me sort through complicated details. Thanks to Larry Stack, a friend who happens to be an expert on U.S. military uniforms! Thanks to Amy Keating, Lulu Griffin, and Andy Griffin for technological support!
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