Keith L. Ware

Major General Keith Lincoln Ware (November 23, 1915 - September 13, 1968) was an United States Army officer, who received the Medal of Honor in World War II, and was killed in action while commanding a division during the Vietnam War.

Biography
Ware was born in Denver, Colorado in 1915. He was drafted into the United States Army in July 1941 and sent to Officer Candidate School in 1942, emerging a platoon leader stationed at Fort Ord, California. After extensive service in the European Theater of Operations, he had risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel by December 1944, commanding the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, in the 3rd Infantry Division.

On December 26, Ware's battalion was attacking a heavily fortified German hilltop position. Finding one of the assault companies stalled and digging in under heavy fire, Ware went forward past their position and made a close reconnaissance of the German positions, deliberately drawing their fire in order to determine their location. After two hours, he returned to the company and brought back a small force &mdash; eleven men and a tank &mdash; in order to renew the attack; leading the advance personally, he disabled four machine-gun positions before the hill was secured. Five of the eleven men with him were casualties, and Ware himself was wounded. For his action in this engagement, he was awarded the Medal of Honor in April 1945.

Unlike most draftees, Ware remained in the Army after demobilization, becoming a career soldier, and one of the first former draftees to reach general officer rank.

Ware arrived in Vietnam shortly before the outbreak of the Tet Offensive in early 1968, serving as the deputy commander of II Field Force. Dispatched to Saigon immediately after the start of the Tet attacks, he assumed control of the American forces in the area, forming Task Force Ware; after several days of heavy fighting had stabilized the situation, the task force was dispersed. Following this, Ware was assigned to command the 1st Infantry Division in March 1968.

On 12th and September 13, of that year, with elements of the division closely engaged near Loc Ninh near the Cambodian border, he made several low passes over the fighting in a helicopter in order to better command his units. However, heavy anti-aircraft fire brought the helicopter down on September 13, along with Ware, his three command staff, and the four helicopter crew. There were no survivors; Ware became the fourth American general officer (and the first Army general officer) to die in combat in the Vietnam War. Ware was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for this action in October 1968.

Ware is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Medal of Honor citation
The President of the United States in the name of the Congress of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to KEITH LINCOLN WARE Lieutenant Colonel United States Army for service as set forth in the following CITATION:


 * Commanding the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry, attacking a strongly held enemy position on a hill near Sigolsheim, France, on 26 December 1944, found that 1 of his assault companies had been stopped and forced to dig in by a concentration of enemy artillery, mortar, and machinegun fire. The company had suffered casualties in attempting to take the hill. Realizing that his men must be inspired to new courage, Lt. Col. Ware went forward 150 yards beyond the most forward elements of his command, and for 2 hours reconnoitered the enemy positions, deliberately drawing fire upon himself which caused the enemy to disclose his dispositions. Returning to his company, he armed himself with an automatic rifle and boldly advanced upon the enemy, followed by 2 officers, 9 enlisted men, and a tank. Approaching an enemy machinegun, Lt. Col. Ware shot 2 German riflemen and fired tracers into the emplacement, indicating its position to his tank, which promptly knocked the gun out of action. Lt. Col. Ware turned his attention to a second machinegun, killing 2 of its supporting riflemen and forcing the others to surrender. The tank destroyed the gun. Having expended the ammunition for the automatic rifle, Lt. Col. Ware took up an M-1 rifle, killed a German rifleman, and fired upon a third machinegun 50 yards away. His tank silenced the gun. Upon his approach to a fourth machinegun, its supporting riflemen surrendered and his tank disposed of the gun. During this action Lt. Col. Ware's small assault group was fully engaged in attacking enemy positions that were not receiving his direct and personal attention. Five of his party of 11 were casualties and Lt. Col. Ware was wounded but refused medical attention until this important hill position was cleared of the enemy and securely occupied by his command.

Posthumous honors and recognitions
Named in honor of Major General Ware are:
 * the U.S. Army's annual Awards for Journalism
 * Ware Elementary School in Fort Riley, Kansas
 * Ware Hall, 1-15 IN battalion command post at Fort Benning, Georgia
 * Ware Hall, the Kelley Hill Education Center (building 9004) at Fort Benning, Georgia.
 * Ware Hall, a lodging facility at Fort Hood, Texas
 * a parade field in Fort Riley, Kansas
 * a shooting range at Fort Benning, Georgia

Keith L. Ware's name is inscribed on the Vietnam War Memorial ("The Wall") on panel 44W.