Robert T. Keelin, Jr. joined the USMC on July
23, 1941, at the age of 20. He was assigned to the Machine Gun Group,
2nd Def Bn in June 1942, and he remained with that unit until October
1944. At the time of the Tarawa operation his commanding officer was
Major W. L. Eddy, Jr. (Note: The designation of the Machine Gun Group,
2nd Def Bn was changed to Special Weapons Group, 2nd Def Bn in August
1943 and after several other minor name changes its designation was
changed to Light Antiaircraft Group, Second Antiaircraft Battalion,
V Amphibious Corps effective 16 April 1944.)
In October 1943 PFC Keelin sailed to New Zealand
and participated in landing exercises at Hawks Bay. On 1 November
1943 he sailed to Efate, New Hebrides aboard the USS Arthur Middleton,
and participated in landing exercises there. On 13 November 1943 he
sailed on the Middleton from Efate to Tarawa Atoll, arriving on the
19th. In the following days, the Special Weapons Group, 2nd Def Bn
participated in the attack and seizure of Tarawa, for which it was
awarded the Bronze Star.
PFC Keelin remained on Tarawa Atoll after its
seizure, and endured bombing by the Japanese on 3, 5, 6, 12, 13, (one
unknown date), 20, 23, 24 and 27 December 1943. The enemy conducted
further bombing raids on 3, 4, 7, 9, 12, 15, 16, 17 and 21 January
1944.
On 1 April 1944 PFC Keelin boarded the SS Meteor,
leaving Tarawa on 3 April 1944 for Kauai, Hawaii, where he arrived
on 10 April. While in Hawaii, he was promoted first to Corporal, then
Sergeant (temporary). On 1 October 1944 he boarded the USAT Kota Agoeng
and sailed from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to San Francisco, CA, arriving
on 8 October 1944.
Sergeant Keelin was transferred to the MCS Training
Battalion at Quantico, VA in October of '44. In January 1945 he enrolled
in Officer Candidates School, and accepted a temporary commission
as a 2nd Lieutenant in May of that year. He was assigned to Camp Lejeune,
NC, the following month and was honorably discharged from the USMC
on 21 May, 1946 at his then-regular rank of Platoon Sergeant.
