The Irish in Korea
Memorial Page Archive

Daniel J. Keogh was born on September 13th, 1928 the second child of Daniel J. Keogh and Ellie Keogh nee Reilly of Cartron Upper, a town land about a mile and a half outside the village of Drumlish in Co Longford. Danny's father was a farmer and earned his living farming the small few acres on the slopes of Corn Hill where the family home was. The Keoghs went on to have four more boys and one girl and the children all attended Doorok National school which was nearby. The name Daniel or Danny had been in the Keogh family for six generations and Danny was named after his father to keep the tradition going.

Danny grew up into a fine young man over six foot tall with a great passion for sport and was popular and well liked by all who knew him. In April 1949, at the age of 20, Danny Keogh emigrated to the USA and sailed from Cobh to New York and from there made his way west to the home of his maternal aunt Mrs Anderson who lived at 901 F Street in Sparks just outside Reno in Nevada. Sparks and Reno had been a traditional destination for Irish emigrants especially from Co Longford and many had found employment in the rail yards and railways of the Southern Pacific railway Company. Danny quickly adapted to his new life in Nevada and secured a job with the Sierra Power Company and spent a lot of his spare time involved in local sporting events.

After a short time his aunt's husband also from Drumlish helped Danny get a job with the traditional employer of Longford men, the Southern Pacific railway. Three years after his arrival in America Danny Keogh received call up papers and was drafted into the US army. He was enrolled on the 9th of September 1953, 4 days before his 24th birthday. He was sent to Fort Ord about 5 miles from Monterey, California. Here he had 16 weeks basic infantry training and returned to Sparks for some short leave in January 1953. Within the month Danny was on his way to Korea. His unit stopped off in Japan where they received further training and by early March Danny Keogh was preparing for his stint in the front lines in a rear training camp near Seoul in Korea.

On the night of the 16th of March his company, which contained many new recruits like himself, were sent up the right hand side of an American held position, a hill called Kowang-san, known as Hill 355 or 'Little Gibraltar'. Hill 355 had been a Chinese stronghold taken by the 1st Commonwealth Division in fierce fighting in October 1951. Since then the position had been held by various British, Commonwealth and American battalions, despite numerous attempts by the Chinese to retake it.

As Danny Keogh and the rest of the infantry company came up the reverse slopes of the hill to relieve the company holding the position, a strong force of Chinese infantry launched a massive surprise attack and poured over the forward slope breaking through the American lines and attacking the relieving force. A fierce close quarter battle ensued and American and Chinese troops played a murderous game of hide and seek in the trenches and bunkers on the left side of Hill 355. The battle raged all night with both sides showering each other with grenades and mortars. By dawn, on March 17th, St Patrick's day, the Chinese attack had been driven off the hill with massive casualties to both forces. Chinese dead were estimated at about 500. Amongst the many American dead was Pte. Danny Keogh, killed by shell fragments from what may have been a enemy mortar fire. The American dead and wounded were taken back to their base camp identified and the bodies prepared for evacuation back to Japan and from there onto the United States.

Danny's family were informed of his death by a member of the American legation some weeks later. The chaplain of the 9th Infantry Regiment, James M. Johnson wrote his aunt in Nevada a letter in which he said "Memory of your nephew's heroic death will always be a source of inspiration to this regiment. He died bravely in defence of the principles we all hold dear and which will ultimately triumph in a peaceful world."

Danny Keogh's remains went first to Nevada and then to Ireland where his coffin was carried by train from Dublin to Longford accompanied by an American soldier, Master Sergeant D. S. Shriver, and draped in the stars and stripes on Monday, June 29th, 1953.

The funeral cortege moved through the streets of Longford town and Danny Keogh made his final journey home to the Catholic Church in Drumlish where he remained overnight watched over by M/Sgt. Shriver. He was buried the following morning, Tuesday June 30th, with full military honours in the old graveyard in Drumlish.

At 10 am on July 27th, 1953, a month after Danny Keogh was returned home an armistice was signed effectively ending hostilities between North and South Korea and their respective Chinese and United Nations Allies. There were no winners or losers in this forgotten war and Korea remains a divided nation nearly fifty years later.

Danny Keogh was one of 33,629 American soldiers killed or missing in the Korean conflict and one of 20 Irish born soldiers who died or were missing in action while serving with the US army. His name appears on the US Forces memorial to the fallen in Sparks Nevada. There is also a Keogh Street named in his honour also in Sparks.

Two nephews were named after him continuing the name Danny in the Keogh family.

He is mourned and remembered always by his parents :
Danny J. and Ellie Keogh, (Both Deceased),
Brothers :
Michael Keogh, Cartron Upper, Drumlish, Co Longford.
Patrick Keogh, San Francisco, California, USA..
Peter Keogh, Ballymack, Co Cavan.
Eddie Keogh, Oakpark, Carlow.
Brendan Keogh, late of Alexandra Park, Manchester, England. (Deceased).

Sister : Rosemary Cullivan nee Keogh, Ricehill, Co Cavan.

And all his many nephews and nieces and their families.

This last year the Korean Government awarded a Presidential medal to all Veterans who were involved in the conflict. I applied for and was presented the medal by a retired Major from the US Arms Forces.  The ceremony took place May 17, 2001 in Lafayette, La..

The United States Air Force flew the missing man formation to Honor all who lost their lives in Korea.

I forwarded John's Korean Medal to his brother who is presently living in England.

On September 24, 1950 after and early morning crossing of the Han River our unit was blasted by our 4.2 mortars.  Our forward observer erred in the range and fell on our positions wounding and killing many in our company.  John was mortally wounded and taken to Osaka Hospital in Japan, there expired in early Oct.