• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Human Interest / Eastern Iowa man identified as part of famous World War Two photo

Eastern Iowa man identified as part of famous World War Two photo

October 18, 2019 By Radio Iowa Contributor

Harold Keller. (KCRG TV photo)

The U.S. Marine Corps has confirmed that an Iowa man was one of the marines in one of the most famous photos ever taken.

The Marine Corps says one of the six men in the picture raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima during World War Two is Corporal Harold P. Keller, from Brooklyn, Iowa

Keller’s daughter, Kay Maurer of Clarence, told KCRG TV9 she recently got a letter with that confirmation. “To have the Marine Corps send this official letter — they had talked to me on the phone a few times and said yes we agree — I am going to frame it,” she said. Maurer says she first learned her dad might be in the photo when she received a call two years ago from private historian Brent Westemeyer from Johnston. “He was the one who first figured it out,” Maurer said.

Steve and Kay Maurer. (KCRG TV photo)

The findings by Westemeyer and several other historians confirmed by the Marine Corps and FBI investigators were key to identifying Keller. She says the researcher found two pictures, and that gave them all the identifying things about how the soldiers in the picture were dressed .Through extensive research, including facial recognition, they determined Keller had been mistaken as Private First Class Rene Gagnon for more than 70 years.

“Now, I look at the picture and go, ‘whoa, that’s my dad’. How amazing is that?” Keller said. Kay, and her husband, Steve, said it’s surreal but not totally surprising. They says he never ever told them anything that had to do with the war. However, Kay thinks he did tell one member of the family.  “When dad got home from the war. I’m sure he told my mom,” she said.

Harold Keller’s copy of the famous photo.

Keller died from a heart attack in 1979, he was 57. Steve told KCRG TV his getting the recognition is an honor. “The odds of him making it through this whole campaign and making it home, and being a normal person and living a normal life are infinitesimal,” Steve said.

Kay says the photo is just one event in what was a heroic time for a lot of people. “Those flag raisers, in the context of being a flag raiser, those aren’t the heroes. The heroes are every single person that put on a military uniform and puts their life on hold for our country,” Kay said Maurer says with or without the recognition, the fond memories of her dad always there, as she says he was
the best father ever.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Human Interest, Military, News, Top Story

Featured Stories

Governor signs Iowa Renewable Fuels Standard into law

Jury returns guilty verdict in shooting death of State Trooper

Summit has easements for 20% of carbon pipeline route through Iowa

Morel mushroom hunters on hold without warmer conditions

Trinity Health aquiring all MercyOne health properties

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa Special Olympics Summer games set to open in Ames

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 5/16/22

Iowa assistant coach Kirk Speraw to retire

Northern Iowa prepares for Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament

T.J. Otzelberger announces staff changes at Iowa State

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC