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Harold Keller

Harold Keller

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Harold “Pie” Keller (August 3, 1921 - March 13 1979) was a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps identified in October of 2019 as one of the six fighting men in Jim Rosenthal's iconic Iwo Jima photograph. [1]

Overview

Harold's spot in the six fighting men photo was virtually unknown until October of 2019 when scholars realized that Rene Gagnon had been falsely identified as a participant in the photograph. Historians took film footage from atop Mount Suribachi to draw their conclusions. Among them were Stephen Foley, Dustin Spence and Brent Westemeyer. The findings were confirmed by a special investigative board together with the Marines and the FBI's Digital Evidence Laboratory.[1]

One of the major clues in discovering Keller's role was that Jim Rosenthal’s photo shows the reflection of a ring on the left hand of the man originally identified as Gangon, however, only Keller was married.

He had met his wife Ruby while on leave in 1944.

[1]

Personal Life

Harold Keller was raised by Byron Paul Keller and Ruth Hendrickson Keller Belland in Brooklyn, Iowa. He graduated from Brooklyn High School and served with the United States Marine Corps from January 6, 1942 to September 19, 1945. Harold married Ruby O’Halloran near her family's home in Hartwick, Iowa and they had two sons and one daughter. He was originally going to officer training school in Quantico, Virginia, but after meeting Ruby he settled down and worked as a telephone lineman instead. [2]

Harold "Pie" Keller got his nickname after eating too much pie before a football game and throwing up in front of his friends.

He was a former fire chief who had worked for the Brooklyn Fire Department for over thirty years. He spent the latter portion of his life working at Dean Montgomery Surge.[2]

Keller was a purple heart recipient who died from a heart attack at age 57. Coincidentally, he died in the same year as Rene Gagnon, the man who was mistaken for Keller in the famous Jim Rosenthal picture. Gagnon also died of a heart attack, he was 54. [2][1]

References

[1]
Citation Linkwww.nbcnews.com
Oct 17, 2019, 9:53 PM
[2]
Citation Linkwww.findagrave.com
Oct 17, 2019, 11:33 PM