Col. James S. Keel

COLONEL JAMES S. KEEL, 94, died Jan. 15, 2017. He was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo. Prior to joining the Army Air Corps in 1942 as an Aviation Cadet, he was a PGA apprentice at a country club near Chicago, Ill. During WW II he served in the China-Burma-India Theater flying support missions to Chinese troops and after VJ Day, participated in the airlift of 100,000 Chinese Nationalists from Shanghai to Peking in preparation for the subsequent war with the Chinese Communists. Col. Keel held many staff and command positions, most notable Chief of Flying Safety, Military Air Command; Chief of the Air Force System Safety Analysis Group for the development of the C-5A transport; Deputy Commander for Operations of a C-141 Airlift Wing; Deputy Commander for Operations of the Air Rescue Service; Vice Commander of the 89th Airlift Wing, the Presidential Airlift Wing where he flew members of the cabinet, congress and the Vice President. He has over 10,000 hours of flying hours, 1000 hours of combat, and many awards and decorations including Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star, Legion of merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Col. Keel was a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, the Air War College and obtained his college education by attending university educational programs during his off-duty time. After 31 continuous years of military service, he retired in 1973 and moved with his wife to a small cattle farm in Harrison to pursue his hobbies of golf and computers. He published articles on political satire and was a frequent contributor to the Harrison Daily Times and the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Col. Keel is preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Mary Fuller Keel, his brother and his sister. He is survived by a son, James K Keel, Jr. (Colleen), Cincinnati, Ohio; two daughters, Dr. Jeanne Heard (John), Little Rock, Ark., and Leigh Pennington (Michael), San Antonio, Texas; six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. There will be a private graveside service at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery with full military honors. Donations may be sent to the Ozark Humane Society Shelter in Harrison or any Baptist charity. Arrangements are by Ruebel Funeral Home. www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.