Saturday, January 16, 2010

Dead Page: Served Aboad Cruisers and Battled Town Hall

EDWARD J. "EDYO" KEEHAM, 84

Wrote the book "Battle of Honor" about his World War II service aboard the cruisers USS Savanna and USS Saint Paul.

He also battled the town of Westport to replace a missing World War II monument that was pictured on the front cover of a 1943 Saturday Evening Post. (A WWII monument erected during the war, I doubt that there were many of them.)

He dropped out of high school after Pearl Harbor and joined the Navy at age 17. He was assigned to the light cruiser USS Savanna which participated in North Africa and European operations. It was hit by a 3400 pound bomb September 11, 1943 and suffered 200 casualties.

Mr. Keeham survived and was transferred to the USS Saint Paul operating in the Pacific. This ship fired the last salvo of the war at mainland Japan He was in his dress blues on the Saint Paul in the bay when Japan signed the surrender.

The "Honor Roll" monument was missing, but replaced by Mr. Keeham's efforts.

From Jan. 4, 2010 Westport (Ct) Now.com

The Greatest Generation

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