Ridley High School

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Ridley High, York College grad Keeler is awarded Purple Heart for ...

Courtesy of DVIDShub.net

U.S. Army National Guard Spc. Matthew Keeler, public affairs specialist with the 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, and a Ridley graduate who starred in lacrosse at York College, received a Purple Heart award in a ceremony July 18 inside the Joint Operation Command, Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

Brig. Gen. Don S. Cornett Jr., commander of the 310th ESC awarded the Purple Heart in the name of the president of the United States for sustaining a shrapnel wound to his back and leg in the line of duty.

“It’s kind of surreal,” said Keeler in an article provided by DVIDShub.net . “To think I’ve only been in the military for about two years, but I’ve achieved so much.”

Keeler added that, in addition to being a great honor shared by relatively few others; earning the Purple Heart reaffirmed his commitment to the military and gave him motivation to continue.

“When you’re in the Army, you’re always considering, ‘What’s the worst thing that could happen? What are the dangers?’ This opened my eyes to the dangers that are here,” he said.

Keeler is a 2008 York College grad who at the end of his three years as goalkeeper was ranked first all-time at York in save percentage, goals-against average and goalkeeper wins, and second in saves. He also led York to several winning seasons.

At Ridley, Keeler was a backup goalie who never got the chance to b a starter but was a popular and valued teammate.

“This story does not surprise me because Matt was one of those team-first kids,” said Kevin Ellers, Keeler’s high school coach at Ridley. “He was a great kid. He was a backup goalie, but he accepted his role and was a great team player.

“He always had a smile on his face.”

In Iraq, even late in 2011, danger can find you at any time, in the most unexpected locations. The shrapnel that tore into Keeler resulted from an indirect fire attack on JBB one afternoon, landing meters away from where he was located.

Sgt. Felicya Adams, public affairs specialist with the 310th ESC, told DVDSHub.net that afternoon was an ordinary day. She asked Keeler to accompany her to update the 310th ESC Facebook page. The attack came as Adams was leaving the building to rejoin Keeler, who was already in the vehicle.

“I heard the sirens go off and heard the ‘incoming, incoming, incoming’ and without even thinking I turned around and ran back inside, and right then I heard the detonation,” said Adams. “I knew he was outside so I was worried about him, but I didn’t think it hit where it did. I thought it hit the building because the whole building shook and rattled and debris fell from the ceiling.

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