Column: Medal of Honor for Sisseton-Wahpeton vet

"It seems like a no-brainer, but then I remembered that this is a government thing.

It's been a year since the Secretary of the Army recommended that the late Master Sgt. Woodrow Keeble receive a Medal of Honor.

Then it hit a predictable snag. It was placed in the hands of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Now there is renewed hope that something will finally happen. Sen. John Thune is co-sponsoring legislation that would clear the way for Keeble to receive the long-overdue honor and recognition.

That legislation would authorize President Bush to posthumously award the medal to Keeble, a member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe. He would be the first Dakota Sioux to receive the Medal of Honor.

"He went beyond the call of duty not for a medal but for the mission he believed in and the country he loved. Master Sgt. Keeble's legacy is a great source of pride for his family, his fellow Dakota Sioux and all Americans," Thune said."

Get the Story:
David Kranz: Thune works to get Keeble a Medal of Honor (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 3/30)

Related Stories:
Bill to award medal to Sisseton-Wahpeton vet (3/28)
Opinion: Sisseton-Wahpeton vet deserved honor (03/12)
Viewpoint: Overdue honor for Sisseton-Wahpeton vet (3/2)
Interview: Woody Keeble, a hero of two wars (2/26)
Editorial: Medal of Honor for Sioux veteran (06/14)
Native veteran recommended for Medal of Honor (06/01)
Native veteran to receive replacement medals (5/29)
Sen. Johnson: Long overdue honor for Native soldier (04/28)
Medal of Honor sought for Sisseton-Wahpeton vet (02/28)