Harold Keller
| Harold Keller | |
|---|---|
| |
| Courtesy of Kay Keller Maurer | |
| Born | August 3, 1921 Brooklyn, Iowa |
| Died | March 13, 1979 Grinnell, Iowa |
| Status | Survived |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Service number | |
| Unit | Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division |
| Commands held | |
| Battles / wars | Battle of Iwo Jima |
| Awards | Purple Heart |
| Relations | |
| Later work | Volunteer firefighter and fire chief in Brooklyn, Iowa, for roughly 30 years |
Harold Paul Keller (August 3, 1921 – March 13, 1979) was a United States Marine and one of the six men who raised the second U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945 — the moment captured in Joe Rosenthal's iconic photograph.
Born in Brooklyn, Iowa, Keller enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942, was wounded in action at Bougainville, and served with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines. He was part of the 40-man patrol that climbed Mount Suribachi.
Flag raising on Mount Suribachi
On October 16, 2019, following further photographic analysis, the Marine Corps announced that Keller — not PFC Rene Gagnon, who had been credited for decades — was one of the six men in Rosenthal's photograph. His presence in the image went unrecognized until 40 years after his death.
Legacy
After the war Keller returned to Iowa, where he and his wife Ruby raised three children and he served roughly 30 years as a volunteer firefighter and fire chief in Brooklyn, Iowa. He died in Grinnell, Iowa, in 1979.
Legacy Presentation
Presented by Kay Keller Maurer at the 81st Anniversary
From the 81st Legacy Presentations Book
