Ralph S. Keyser

Ralph Stover Keyser (May 10, 1883 – April 19, 1955) was a highly decorated officer of the United States of America with the rank of major general, who is most noted for his service as the 15th Assistant to the Major General Commandant of the Marine Corps and a distinguished marksman, who participated in world matches. He was the recipient of Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat.

Early career

Ralph S. Keyser was born May 10, 1883, in Thoroughfare, Virginia, as a son of Charles Eugene and Mary Gill Stover Keyser. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1902 and participated in the Philippine–American War. He applied for Marine Corps commission during 1905 and was subsequently commissioned second lieutenant on March 29, 1905. Keyser was subsequently ordered to the School of Application at Annapolis, Maryland, for further officer training, which he completed in April 1906. Among his classmates at that time, were his lifelong friends Holland M. Smith, Andrew B. Drum and Maurice E. Shearer.

Following the school, he was attached to the Marine detachment aboard the newly commissioned battleship USS Louisiana and sailed to Cuba in order to suppress armed revolt of independence war veterans who defeated the meager government forces. Louisiana was then stationed in the Caribbean during the construction of Panama Canal and joined Great White Fleet in December 1907. While aboard the Louisiana, Keyser took part in the voyage around the world with the stops in Port of Spain, Rio de Janeiro, Punta Arenas, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Manila, Yokohama, Singapore, entering the Indian Ocean in December 1908; they coaled in Colombo and passed through the Suez Canal with another stops in Port Said, Gibraltar, and finally returned to Hampton Roads on 22 February 1909.

Senior staff officers of the 2nd Division in Germany, December 1918. Major Ralph S. Keyser is stood third on the left, next to Army Brigadier General Preston Brown.

While again on the staff of 2nd Army Division, Keyser served as assistant chief of staff for intelligence (G-2) during the battles of Saint-Mihiel in Meuse Department and Blanc Mont Ridge in Champagne province. He received his second Silver Star for gallantry in action during Blanc Mont Ridge battle.

He was ordered back to the United States in August 1925 and served at the Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C., with the section of Operations and Training until April 1930. Keyser also acted as captain of the U.S. international rifle team at the World Matches in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1929. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in September 1930 and following his promotion to colonel in May 1934, he was appointed director of Operations and Training Division in the office of the major general commandant, John H. Russell. Keyser was commended for his administration and development of that division by the commandant.

Roosevelt approved the nomination and Keyser was appointed to the capacity of Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps in March 1942. But Keyser's heart condition forced him to leave the office in May of that year, and he was ordered to the Naval hospital in Bethesda for treatment. His health did not get better, and Keyser retired again on October 1, 1942. He was not called back to active duty for the duration of the war and was also promoted to the rank of major general on the retired list for having been specially commended in combat.

Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Major General Keyser: