Placement on the Wall:
Panel 57E Line 25
PERSONAL DATA:
Home of Record: Enid, OK
Date of birth: 06/22/1941
MILITARY DATA:
Service Branch: Army of the United States
Grade at loss: E4
Rank: Specialist Four
Promotion Note: None
ID No: 54665551
MOS or Specialty: 76D20: Ordnance Supply And Part Specialist
Length Service: 01
Unit: HHC, 65TH ENG BN, 25TH INF DIV, USARV
CASUALTY DATA:
Start Tour: 09/11/1967
Incident Date: 05/09/1968
Casualty Date: 05/09/1968
Age at Loss: 26
Location: Hau Nghia Province, South Vietnam
Remains: Body recovered
Casualty Type: Hostile, died outright
Casualty Reason: Ground casualty
Casualty Detail: Artillery, rocket, or mortar
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Kielys receive Posthumous Award of South Viet Medals
Two medals awarded by the South Vietnamese government have been presented to the parents of an Enid youth who was killed in action while serving with the U.S. Army in Vietnam. The medals were presented to Mr. & Mrs. Mack Kiely in their home by Major Charles Lewis, Army advisor to the Oklahoma National Guard.
The Kiely's son, Billy R. Kiely was killed May 9 while on active duty with the U.S. Army in Vietnam.
His parents were presented with the Military Merit Medal and the Gallantry Cross with Palm Leaf, awarded by the Republic of Vietnam.
Major Lewis said these medals are ordinarily presented to men who have been awarded the Bronze Star, which was awarded to young Kiely, and that it takes time to receive them from South Vietnam.
Kiely, 26, graduated from Enid High School in 1960 and had advanced study in art and writing. He entered the Army April 3, 1967, taking his basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas, where he received the marksmanship medal for proficiency on the M-16 and the expert marksmanship medal for M-14. Kiely attended quartermaster school at Ft. Lee VA., and had been in Vietnam eight months before his death.
In addition to his other medals Kiely was awarded the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal , the Efficiency, Honor and Fidelity Medal, the National Defense Medal and the Republic of Vietnam Service Medal.
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| Billy Kiely |
| © Enid Morning News |
| 1968 |
| Submitted by: Jo Aguirre |
Services for Sp/4 Billy Kiely, 26, 1601 W. Thompson, will be at 2 PM Tuesday in Henninger – Allen Funeral Home Chapel with an Army chaplain officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, with full military rites.
Sp/4 Kiely died May 9 as a result of fragmentation wounds he received while on duty near CuChi, Vietnam. He had been assigned with the 65th Engineer Battalion of the 25th Infantry Division.
Born in Enid he was a 1960 graduate of Enid high school and was employed at Marquise Studios before entering the military.
He was a graduate of the Palmer Institute of Authorship, Hollywood, and the Minneapolis Art Institute.
Entering the Army in April 1967, he took basic training at Ft. Bliss and attended Quartermaster School at Ft. Lee, Virginia. He was shipped to Vietnam September 11, 1967.
Survivors include his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Mack Kiely and a sister, Mrs. Levernon (Anita) young of Enid; and a brother McGarie Kiely Jr., Alamogordo, New Mexico.
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