An amazing family of nine brothers that our nation owes a huge debt of gratitude;
Daniel Francis Kelly grew up idolizing his eight older brothers -- Howard, Eugene, James, Frank, John, Edward, George and Charles, all of whom enlisted in the Army before him. All but Howard served during World War II and returned as heroes, especially Charles “Chuck” Kelly, who was immortalized nationwide as “Commando Kelly.”
Sgt. Chuck Kelly was the first soldier in the European war theater to receive the nation's highest military award for valor -- the Medal of Honor -- and was one of the most celebrated military heroes of World War II. He single-handedly fought off a German platoon, killing 40 enemy troops while enabling his own detachment to escape from Altavilla, Italy, on Sept. 1, 1943.....
....“The stories I always heard was that he always wanted to be like his brothers,” Ms. Donovan said of her Uncle Danny. “He wanted to join the service.”
The timeline is short. In 1950, his brother Chuck signed the papers that enabled Danny to enlist at the age of 17. In May, he went to boot camp at Fort Knox in Kentucky. Six months later, he was flown to California, then Japan. A day later he was in Korea, a corporal in the 9th Infantry Regiment. A week later, he was gone, missing in action in the massive Battle of the Chongchon River in North Korea.
After 67 years of being MIA, his remains were finally recovered and returned to Pittsburgh.
Here's a link with a video of ceremony.
Daniel Francis Kelly grew up idolizing his eight older brothers -- Howard, Eugene, James, Frank, John, Edward, George and Charles, all of whom enlisted in the Army before him. All but Howard served during World War II and returned as heroes, especially Charles “Chuck” Kelly, who was immortalized nationwide as “Commando Kelly.”
Sgt. Chuck Kelly was the first soldier in the European war theater to receive the nation's highest military award for valor -- the Medal of Honor -- and was one of the most celebrated military heroes of World War II. He single-handedly fought off a German platoon, killing 40 enemy troops while enabling his own detachment to escape from Altavilla, Italy, on Sept. 1, 1943.....
....“The stories I always heard was that he always wanted to be like his brothers,” Ms. Donovan said of her Uncle Danny. “He wanted to join the service.”
The timeline is short. In 1950, his brother Chuck signed the papers that enabled Danny to enlist at the age of 17. In May, he went to boot camp at Fort Knox in Kentucky. Six months later, he was flown to California, then Japan. A day later he was in Korea, a corporal in the 9th Infantry Regiment. A week later, he was gone, missing in action in the massive Battle of the Chongchon River in North Korea.
After 67 years of being MIA, his remains were finally recovered and returned to Pittsburgh.
Here's a link with a video of ceremony.
