Reinhardt J. Keppler

He faced fires and saved sailors as shells tore his warship.

Reinhardt John Keppler was born at Ralston, Washington, on 22 January 1918. After attending Wapato High School, he enlisted in the United States Navy in February 1936 and reenlisted in April 1940. He served aboard the heavy cruiser USS San Francisco, becoming a boatswain's mate first class.

On 12 November 1942, a Japanese aircraft crashed into the cruiser's after machine-gun position off Guadalcanal. Keppler helped remove the dead and care for wounded shipmates. During the following night's battle he advanced a hose into the burning hangar and brought the fire under control despite repeated hits. Even after suffering mortal wounds, he directed firefighting and tended casualties until blood loss caused him to collapse.

Keppler did not survive the campaign. His widow received his posthumous Medal of Honor on 17 September 1943. The Navy subsequently named the destroyer USS Keppler for him, preserving the memory of a sailor whose final work was to save other men.