Remembering, Honoring Olney’s Medal of Honor Winner George David Keathley

Fewer than 3,600 Americans in U.S. history have received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest and most prestigious military award for valor.

Among them is George Dennis Keathley, a native of Olney, Texas, who was posthumously awarded this rare distinction for his extraordinary bravery and leadership during World War II.

Mr. Keathley, known to his family and friends as Dennis, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary bravery and leadership in combat during World War II.

He was born in Olney on November 10, 1907. He attended school locally and later enrolled at Cameron Junior College in Lawton, Oklahoma.

In 1933, Mr. Keathley began his studies at Texas A&M University, where he earned a degree in agriculture. He was a member of Troop D, Cavalry of the Corps of Cadets, and graduated in 1937.

In 1942, Mr. Keathley married Inez Edmunson. They had two daughters.

Later that year, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and trained at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. By 1943, he had been promoted to the rank of Sergeant Major and served as a platoon commander.

After completing various military schools and assignments, he was placed with the 85th “Custer” Division, part of the U.S. Fifth Army. The division deployed overseas on December 24, 1943, and arrived in Casablanca, Morocco, on January 2, 1944.

Sergeant Major Keathley served with valor in Italy, ultimately giving his life during the Battle of Giogo Pass at Mount Altuzzo as American forces pushed through the German Gothic Line.

Under intense fire from German mortars and machine guns, Sergeant Major Keathley assumed command of three depleted platoons after all officers and non-commissioned officers were killed.

Outnumbered and low on ammunition, he crawled under fire to assist the wounded and retrieve ammunition from fallen comrades, which he distributed to the surviving troops.

During this effort, he was gravely wounded in the side by a German grenade but continued to lead and fight. At one point, he stood up—holding his entrails in with one hand—to steady his rifle and shoot a German soldier advancing on his position. His actions rallied his men and renewed their will to fight.

Sergeant Major Keathley’s leadership held the line for 15 crucial minutes until the enemy retreated. He died shortly afterward, on September 14, 1944. His wife, Inez, received his Medal of Honor and Purple Heart in April 1945.

Sergeant Major Keathley’s legacy has been honored across the country.

In Lawton, Oklahoma, the VFW Post is named in his honor.

Cameron College renamed its ROTC unit “Keathley’s Rifles.” In 1949, the USNS George D. Keathley, a naval transport ship, was commissioned in his name and served in the Korean War.

In Lamesa, Texas, another VFW Post bears his name. At Texas A&M, his Medal of Honor and Purple Heart are displayed with a bronze plaque in the Sam Houston Sanders Corps of Cadets Center.

The university also named Keathley Hall, a student dormitory, in his honor.

In his hometown of Olney, the public library is named after George Keathley.

It houses records and memorabilia commemorating one of the city’s most heroic sons.