Korean War Vets Reunite with Child They Saved

WaayTV.com: Korean War Vets Reunite with Child They Saved

Huntsville, AL - A very unique reunion was held in Huntsville this week. 57 year old Dan Keenan was reunited with some of the men he says saved his life during the Korean War.

Keenan was just an infant when crew members of the escort carrier U.S.S Point Cruz rescued him from an orphanage. The men say they knew he had no chance of surviving. Father Riley, the ship's chaplain, had spotted Keenan and immediately notified the ship's captain.


"They both knew that a caucasian baby would never survive in that orphanage, so the skipper ordered Father Riley to bring me on the ship, breaking every military rule in the book," said Keenan.

Keenan's rescuers looked after him until he was allowed to be brought back to the United States.

"The corpsmen were taking care of him and feeding him and making diapers out of sheets. It was quite the operation," said veteran Robert Day.

Luckily, Father Riley was able to acquire a passport for Keenan.

"They were able to get a passport and visa for me," Keenan explained, "The passport I understand Father Riley won in a poker game."

As their story began to spread, Vice President Richard Nixon became interested in helping as well.

"Vice President Nixon interceded and said, 'Get the skipper a visa right away,' and they did," said Keenan.

Keenan was ultimately adopted by a surgeon on a medical ship. It was not until years later, however, that the men of the U.S.S. Point Cruz tracked down their baby.

Keenan about the ship "The newspaper tracked me down," said Keenan, " They did a story on me and it went on Associated Press and then the skipper contacted me."

After the captain wrote about Keenan in his autobiography, the rest of the men came out of the woodwork as well. The infant they had saved was reintroduced to the veterans as a 40 year old man at a U.S.S. Point Cruz Reunion in 1993. "The baby" has been invited to every reunion since.

"I find it kind of amusing, but to them I will always be the baby, even though I'm not."