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This Remembrance Profile was originally created by CMSgt Don Skinner - Deceased
Contact Info
Home Town Arcata
Date of Passing Jun 03, 2008
Location of Interment Riverside National Cemetery (VA) - Riverside, California
Captain Lillian Kinkela Keil was born on November 17, 1916 in Arcata, CA. Her father left the family when she was a young girl. She and her mother lived in a convent at Sisters of St. Joseph, where her mother performed cleaning tasks. After high school, she entered the nursing program at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco, CA. Upon receiving her nursing degree, she was employed by United Airlines. One of the airline's rules was that in order to be a stewardess, one had to be a registered nurse.
In 1943, when asked why she did not better utilize her nursing talents, Keil answered by enlisting in the USAAF and requested flight nurse duty. After completed required training at the Air Evacuation School at Louisville, KY, she soon found herself in England, assigned to the 801st Medical Air Evacuation Squadron at Bottesford, England. But she was assigned temporary duty at the air field at Shinbone, treating wounded B-17 crew members who were wounded or suffered frost bite while on bombing raids, and, in some instances, caring for them on air evacuation flights to the U.S.
After D-Day, duty became more rugged as she and the air evacuation crew would have to go on the flight to France and Germany to retrieve the wounded. Because the aircraft carried supplies in to the battlefield, the aircraft could not be marked with the Red Cross, thereby depriving the aircraft and crew of protection under the Geneva Convention. In spite of this detriment, she participated in many evacuation flights from the beaches at Normandy to the Ardennes Forest. She later stated the Ardennes campaign was especially harrowing because of the extreme weather conditions. She recalled one particular flight when the aircraft she was on could not land because of severe weather. Although the aircraft circled the area many times, a landing was impossible, so the mission was aborted. Captain Kinkela recalls that she could plainly see at least 12 litters with wounded men, waiting for help. She said it was heartbreaking to leave.
Captain Kinkela flew more than 250 air evacuation missions as well as 25 trans-Atlantic crossings.
In 1946, she was discharged from the USAAF, and returned to her employment with United Airlines. In fact, she flew on the inaugural flight to Hawaii in May, 1947. However, in 1950, when the Korean War began, she returned to active duty as a flight nurse with the USAF. She flew 175 hundred air evacuation missions as a flight nurse in Korea, including evacuations at Chosen Reservoir and near vicinity.
In 1954, she married Walter Keil, a Naval intelligence officer. However, in 1955, she was discharged because of pregnancy. She and Walter went on to have a family of two daughters.
Captain Keil was the most decorated women in World War II, receiving a total of 19 medals, decorations, and campaign credits.
She served as technical director for the 1953 movie "Flight Nurse," inspired by her life story and her actions in Korea. She was honored on several occasions in her adopted hometown of Covina, CA. The Postal Service building there was named for her, and she participated in the dedication ceremonies of the World War II Memorial Monument in Washington, DC.
Captain Lillian Kinkela Keil passed away at the age of 88 in 2005. She is buried in Riverside National Cemetery at Riverside, Ca in Section 20, Site 1235.
There is an article in the Rock Hill, SC "Herald" newspaper dated July 3, 2005 that refers to her as "Major Keil." Her tombstone in Riverside Cemetery lists "Captain."
Other Comments:
Captain Lillian Kinkela Keil is regarded as the most decorated woman who served in combat situations as a member of the USAAF and USAF.
Korean War
From Month/Year
June / 1950
To Month/Year
July / 1953
Description The Korean War; 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) began when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations, with the United States as the principal force, came to the aid of South Korea. China came to the aid of North Korea, and the Soviet Union gave some assistance.
Korea was ruled by Japan from 1910 until the closing days of World War II. In August 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, as a result of an agreement with the United States, and liberated Korea north of the 38th parallel. U.S. forces subsequently moved into the south. By 1948, as a product of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, Korea was split into two regions, with separate governments. Both governments claimed to be the legitimate government of all of Korea, and neither side accepted the border as permanent. The conflict escalated into open warfare when North Korean forces—supported by the Soviet Union and China—moved into the south on 25 June 1950. On that day, the United Nations Security Council recognized this North Korean act as invasion and called for an immediate ceasefire. On 27 June, the Security Council adopted S/RES/83: Complaint of aggression upon the Republic of Korea and decided the formation and dispatch of the UN Forces in Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force, with the United States providing 88% of the UN's military personnel.
After the first two months of the conflict, South Korean forces were on the point of defeat, forced back to the Pusan Perimeter. In September 1950, an amphibious UN counter-offensive was launched at Inchon, and cut off many of the North Korean troops. Those that escaped envelopment and capture were rapidly forced back north all the way to the border with China at the Yalu River, or into the mountainous interior. At this point, in October 1950, Chinese forces crossed the Yalu and entered the war. Chinese intervention triggered a retreat of UN forces which continued until mid-1951.
After these reversals of fortune, which saw Seoul change hands four times, the last two years of conflict became a war of attrition, with the front line close to the 38th parallel. The war in the air, however, was never a stalemate. North Korea was subject to a massive bombing campaign. Jet fighters confronted each other in air-to-air combat for the first time in history, and Soviet pilots covertly flew in defense of their communist allies.
The fighting ended on 27 July 1953, when an armistice was signed. The agreement created the Korean Demilitarized Zone to separate North and South Korea, and allowed the return of prisoners. However, no peace treaty has been signed, and the two Koreas are technically still at war. Periodic clashes, many of which are deadly, have continued to the present.
