The Korean War is often called the “Forgotten War” because it doesn’t get as much attention as World War II or the Vietnam War. However, it was a time of incredible bravery, and one hero who stands out is Woodrow Keel. He was the first full-blooded Dakota to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Woodrow, or “Woody” as he was known, was born on May 16, 1917, on the Sisseton Wahpeton Reservation in South Dakota. He grew up in North Dakota and was part of the Sisseton Wahpeton Nation of the Santee Dakota Tribe.
Woody attended the Wahpeton Indian School, now called the Circle of Nations School, where he was known for his athletic skills, especially in baseball. He led his team to a perfect season, catching the eye of scouts from the Chicago White Sox. But his dreams of a baseball career ended when the U.S. entered World War II on December 7, 1941. Woody joined the North Dakota National Guard and was assigned to the 164th Infantry Regiment. After training, his unit was sent to the South Pacific, where they joined the First Marine Division on Guadalcanal.
Woody’s strong build made him the perfect candidate to carry the heavy Browning Automatic Rifle. He was admired for his bravery and skill, but his size and weapon made him a target for the enemy. Despite losing his ammunition bearer, Woody chose to carry extra ammo himself and became known for his courage, often scouting ahead of his unit. He earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his actions at Guadalcanal.
After World War II, Woody returned home, got married, and started teaching at the Wahpeton Indian School. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, Woody was called back to service. He joined G Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. In Korea, Woody was known for his fierce fighting skills, often sneaking up on enemy positions to destroy them.
His most remarkable achievement came in October 1951 during Operation Nomad Polar. On October 20, Woody single-handedly attacked a heavily fortified enemy position on Hill 765, using grenades with incredible precision to take out machine gun nests. Despite being wounded multiple times, he refused medical help until his men insisted. He continued to fight for nine more months before being honorably discharged in August 1952.
After the war, Woody returned to teaching but faced health challenges, including tuberculosis and a stroke. He passed away on January 28, 1982. For his bravery in Korea, Woody received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and four Purple Hearts. After his death, his family successfully campaigned to have his Distinguished Service Cross upgraded to the Medal of Honor, which was awarded posthumously in 2008.
Woody’s legacy lives on in the admiration of his fellow soldiers, who said, “The safest place to be was right next to Woody.” His name is honored at the Circle of Nations School gymnasium, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4324, and a section of U.S. Highway 12 near Wahpeton.
Another fascinating figure from wartime history is Yacob Nakin, a German soldier from World War II. Born in 1906 in Dorf, Germany, Yacob was incredibly tall, reaching a height of 7 feet 3 inches, though some reports claimed he was even taller. As a teenager, he joined a German circus, performing as the “Giant from the Rhineland” for nearly 20 years.
In 1939, Yacob returned to Germany to join the Army. He was part of an anti-tank crew but never saw frontline action. During D-Day in 1944, he was stationed in Calais, France, and eventually surrendered to Canadian forces. A photo of him surrendering to a much shorter soldier became famous.
After being held as a prisoner of war in Britain, Yacob returned to Germany, only to find his home destroyed. He moved to America in 1949 and returned to circus life, later working as a novelty Santa Claus and appearing on TV shows. Yacob retired at 53 but occasionally made public appearances. He returned to Germany and lived until 1987, passing away at the age of 81.
While Yacob was exceptionally tall, he wasn’t the tallest man in history. That title belonged to Robert Wadlow from Missouri, who was even taller.
Research the key events in Woodrow Keel’s life and the Korean War. Create a detailed timeline that includes his early life, military service, and post-war achievements. Use visuals and descriptions to make your timeline engaging and informative.
Participate in a role-playing debate where you take on the roles of different historical figures from the Korean War era. Discuss the impact of the war on their lives and the significance of their contributions. This will help you understand the diverse perspectives of those involved in the war.
Conduct a research project on other Medal of Honor recipients from the Korean War. Compare their stories and acts of bravery with those of Woodrow Keel. Present your findings in a creative format, such as a video or a digital presentation.
Write a series of fictional letters from the perspective of a soldier in the Korean War. Use historical facts and details from Woodrow Keel’s experiences to make your letters authentic. Share your letters with the class to explore the emotional and personal side of war.
Watch a documentary about the Korean War and Woodrow Keel’s contributions. After viewing, participate in a class discussion to analyze the documentary’s portrayal of the war and its heroes. Discuss how media representations can influence our understanding of historical events.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided transcript:
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The Korean War is often referred to as the “Forgotten War,” overshadowed by other conflicts such as World War II and the Vietnam War. Despite this obscurity, there are many acts of heroism that deserve recognition. One of these came from Woodrow Keel, the first full-blooded Dakota to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor. Woodrow Wilson Keel, nicknamed Woody, was born on May 16, 1917, on the Sisseton Wahpeton Reservation in South Dakota. Early in his childhood, he moved to Wahpeton, North Dakota. He and his parents were full-blooded members of the Sisseton Wahpeton Nation of the Santee Dakota Tribe.
Keel was enrolled in the Wahpeton Indian School, now called the Circle of Nations School, a boarding school where he received a strictly disciplined upbringing. While there, he excelled in athletics, particularly in baseball, where he led his amateur team to a 10-0 record, attracting the attention of talent scouts for the Chicago White Sox. However, any chances of a professional baseball career ended on December 7, 1941, when the United States entered World War II. Keel enlisted in the North Dakota National Guard and was soon assigned to the 164th Infantry Regiment. After training in Louisiana, the 164th was shipped to the South Pacific and, by October 1942, reinforced the First Marine Division on Guadalcanal.
Due to his powerful frame, Keel was assigned to carry his unit’s Browning Automatic Rifle, a weapon designed for heavy fire support. He excelled in this role, earning admiration from his comrades. However, his distinctive weapon and large size also drew the attention of the enemy, who specifically targeted him during the fighting. After losing his ammunition bearer, Keel refused to use another, choosing to carry the extra ammo himself. He earned a reputation for bravery, often scouting ahead of his unit. At Guadalcanal, he earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his actions.
After the war, he returned to Wahpeton, married Netty Owen Robertson, and began a teaching career at the Wahpeton Indian School. In 1950, the outbreak of the Korean War led to the reactivation of the 164th, and Keel was called to service again. When his commanding officer asked the men to draw straws to select sergeants for deployment to Korea, Keel deliberately drew a short straw, stating, “Someone has to teach these kids how to fight.” He was assigned to G Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.
In Korea, Keel earned a reputation as a fierce soldier, stealthily approaching enemy positions and destroying them at close range. His greatest accomplishment occurred in October 1951 during Operation Nomad Polar, an offensive against North Korean and Chinese forces in the Kumsong region. On October 20, 1951, while commanding the support platoon of Company G, Keel advanced alone against a heavily fortified enemy position on Hill 765. He used grenades with remarkable accuracy to destroy enemy machine gun nests, allowing his unit to advance.
Despite suffering numerous wounds during his assault, Keel refused medical attention until his men insisted. He sustained multiple injuries, including two bullet wounds and shrapnel from a grenade blast. He continued to fight for another nine months before being honorably discharged in August 1952. After the war, he returned home and continued teaching but later contracted tuberculosis, requiring the surgical removal of one lung. He suffered a stroke shortly afterward, leaving him partially paralyzed and unable to speak. Keel passed away on January 28, 1982.
For his actions in Korea, Master Sergeant Woodrow Wilson Keel was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and four Purple Hearts. After his death, his family campaigned to have his award upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Their efforts, supported by the senators of North and South Dakota, were successful, and on March 3, 2008, Keel was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush. He became the first full-blooded member of the Dakota Nation to receive this honor. In addition, the Circle of Nations School gymnasium, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4324, and a section of U.S. Highway 12 near Wahpeton bear his name.
Perhaps the greatest honor was the admiration from the men he fought alongside. One soldier stated, “The safest place to be was right next to Woody.”
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Yacob Nakin, the giant German soldier of World War II, was born in 1906 in Dorf, Germany. He grew to be incredibly tall, with both parents over 6 feet tall. Yacob himself reached a height of 7 feet 3 inches, though some reports claimed he was closer to 7 feet 8 inches. As a teenager, he took advantage of his unique appearance to find work in show business, traveling with a German circus. Initially known as Uranus, he later became known as the “Giant from the Rhineland,” spending nearly 20 years as a circus performer.
In 1939, Yacob returned to Germany to join the Army as the country prepared for war. He was assigned to an anti-tank crew and spent the war doing garrison duty, never seeing frontline action. In the summer of 1944, he was stationed in Calais, France, a strategically important port. When D-Day began on June 6, 1944, Yacob remained in fortified bunkers, waiting for an attack that never came. Eventually, his unit surrendered to advancing Canadian forces, and Yacob was photographed surrendering to a much shorter soldier, which made headlines.
He was sent to Britain as a prisoner of war and remained there for over a year before being released. After the war, he returned to Germany but found his family home destroyed. He spent the next few years doing various jobs before immigrating to America in 1949, where he returned to circus life. He later transitioned to working as a novelty Santa Claus and appeared on several television shows.
Yacob retired from show business at the age of 53 but occasionally made public appearances. He returned to Germany and lived to the age of 81, passing away in 1987. Despite his height, he was not the tallest man; that title belonged to Robert Wadlow from Missouri, who was also exceptionally tall.
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Korean War – A conflict between North Korea, aided by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, supported by United Nations forces, primarily the United States, from 1950 to 1953. – The Korean War significantly impacted international relations during the Cold War era.
Woodrow Keel – A fictional name, as there is no historical figure widely recognized by this name in history or performing arts. – In the play, Woodrow Keel was portrayed as a courageous leader who inspired his troops.
Bravery – The quality of being courageous and willing to face danger or difficulty. – The bravery of the soldiers during the battle was commemorated in a moving theatrical performance.
Infantry – Soldiers trained, armed, and equipped to fight on foot. – The infantry played a crucial role in many historical battles, often depicted in war dramas.
Heroism – Great bravery and selflessness, often in the face of danger. – The heroism displayed by the characters in the historical play left the audience in awe.
Legacy – Something handed down by a predecessor, often referring to cultural or historical achievements. – The legacy of ancient Greek theater continues to influence modern performing arts.
Soldier – A person who serves in an army, especially one who fights in battles. – The soldier’s story was adapted into a powerful stage production that highlighted the human cost of war.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – The history class took a field trip to a museum to learn about the Civil War through interactive exhibits.
Performing Arts – Forms of art such as theater, dance, and music that are performed in front of an audience. – The performing arts festival showcased a variety of acts, from classical ballet to modern theater.
Circus – A traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, and trained animals, often performing in a large tent. – The circus was a popular form of entertainment in the 19th century, bringing joy to audiences worldwide.
