Navy SEAL Killed in Iraq Identified as Grandson of Charles Keating Jr.

WSJ ^ | 4 May 16 | Zusha Elinson

[xzins]

The U.S. Navy SEAL who was killed by Islamic State militants in Iraq on Tuesday “felt called” to return to the war-torn country after the extremists group’s atrocities, according to his grandfather Bill Holmes.

Charlie Keating IV “decided he wanted to go back,” Mr. Holmes said in an interview.

Mr. Keating, the grandson of Charles Keating Jr., who served time in prison as a result of the 1980s savings and loan scandals, had been an instructor at a base in California before he left for Iraq earlier this year.

The 31-year-old had joined the SEALs “because it was the hardest thing to do,” Mr. Holmes said. He was planning to marry in November upon his return.

Mr. Holmes said Mr. Keating had to live down the infamy of his grandfather, even enduring taunts from crowds during a track-and-field event where he was competing when he was younger.

“He’s proud of the name, but he had nothing to do with all that,” Mr. Holmes said. It was “unfair to a guy who gave his life for this country” to keep talking about his family’s past,

He went on to attend Indiana University on a track and cross-country scholarship where he competed in the mile run, before leaving to join the military.

“When Charlie left IU to enlist and try to become a SEAL, I don’t think it really surprised any of us,” said Robert Chapman, a professor at Indiana University, Bloomington, who served as the men’s cross-country coach from 1998 until 2007. “You could tell he was a guy who wanted to be the best and find out what he was made of, and serving as special-operations forces for his country embodied that.”

[xzins]

RIP Warrior

We’re all proud of you.

What a testimony to determination!

[xzins]

IF

Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you   
   Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

    But make allowance for their doubting too;   

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;   

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

    And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   

    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

    If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

[Perseverando]

Thank you, Mr. Keating, for your unwavering service to your country. Your sacrifice will be remembered this Memorial Day

We promise we will remember you and the ultimate sacrifice made by you and by the multitude of brave American warriors throughout our history every Memorial Day so long as there is an America.

God bless your family in their time of grieving.

Amazing Grace(Bagpipes) - Taps- 21-Gun Salute

[1217Chic]

RIP Hero.

[NRx]

May his memory be eternal!

[xzins]

This warrior could have had it easy.

Out of a wealthy, political, connected family.

A huge athlete at a high level.

He chose to defend our nation.

My hat is off to him.

Our warriors should receive out support. Always.

[Terry L Smith]

The loss of this Navy Seal, is double-edged, in my perview.

1. Yes, another of America’s sons has paid the dear price for our Freedom, even if under the command of a worthless Q-I-C.

2. It is a reaping of what that bassird crim’nal money-thieving Keating sumbotch sown, to include your’s truly’s money.

[wyowolf]

A hero in my book, but dying in a place we had no business being in. We should never have been in Iraq in the first place, things like this tick me off, these people are elite warriors... being wasted like this :(

[xzins]

This young man overcame all of that.

[Syncopated]

100%. I used to listen to Dirty Harry, this Gorillaz song, as a small burst of rebellion against myself for volunteering for a tour; The cost of life, it seems to get cheaper/ Out in the desert with my street sweeper/ The war is over so said the speaker/ With the flight suit on/ Maybe to him I'm just a pawn/ So he can advance/ Remember when I used to dance/ Dang, all I want to do is dance/

[SueRae]

Absolutely so. Every word.

[Terry L Smith]

As i said, one of America’s sons.

re: ‘he overcame that’, the stink is not on HIM, but on ol’ grandad. He just happens to have the family name.

[xzins]

You are 100% correct. He overcame and excelled.

Thanks, TLS

[Terry L Smith]

dear wyo,

I agree. Iraq was not a problem, until ol’ Hussein went after ol’ Bushy, and it became a family feud.

[wyowolf]

exactly.... some stupid butthurt resulting in thousands of US lives lost... for what? to let more mudslimes control it!

[angcat]

Oh lord please bless this great American and save our once great nation. I feel like crying but I’m at work. :0(

[Puppage]

Amen!

[xzins]

I agree. He defied the negatives and went out and served.

Redemption.

[rightwingintelligentsia]

Ditto.

I have nothing but admiration to this brave man and his sacrifice, on so many levels.