Corporal, Company K, 28th Infantry, 1st Division, in action near Soissons, France, July 18-19, 1918.

Corporal Keene, then acting sergeant, rendered splendid assistance to his commanding officer in helping him to organize and lead a troop of American and French Colonial soldiers against an enemy strong point located in a rock quarry on high ground. During the attack, Corporal Keene was in command of the troops on the right flank, and in storming the position, he rushed for-ward at the head of his men, hurled a hand grenade in the trenches, subdued one of the most difficult posts of the enemy position and personally captured an officer on whom was found important maps of the enemy positions.

On the second day, Corporal Keene served in the capacity of an officer by commanding a company in the first wave of the attack formation and when his battalion commander became wounded he rendered valuable aid in assisting in maintaining control of formations until the objective was reached.

Corporal Keene’s citation and award are included in the pamphlet, Decorations of the U.S. Army, 1862, 1926, War Department, Office of the Adjutant General, Washington, D.C., 1937, page 15.