HARRY Martin KEAT
1892-1943
Harry Martin Keat was born December 20, 1892, in Carroll County, one of nine children of Sarah E. Tate and Richard Samuel Keat. He attended rural schools in Carroll County.

Harry enlisted in the Navy in 1912, and served eight years. After leaving the service he farmed in the Manning area more than 20 years. After the news of Pearl Harbor in 1941, he re-enlisted; although he was 49 years old, he obtained special permission from the government for acceptance in the Navy.

Keat was in command of a gunner's crew on an oil tanker, the S.S. Gulfoil, which was torpedoed by an axis submarine in the Gulf of Mexico May 16, 1942. He was officially listed as killed in action May 17, 1943.

His mother died November 3, 1940, and his father died January 15, 1949.

Manning Monitor article------1943

MANY ATTEND MEMORIAL SERVICE

A large group attended the Memorial services for Harry Keat and Leon Stoelk held in the Ohde Funeral Chapel, Sunday.

Out of town people present Included Mr. and Mrs. Louis Stuhr of Carroll ; Mrs. Ralph Klinkenfus and daughter Darlene of Glidden; Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Krause, Carroll; Mr. and Mrs. Albert Stuhr, Lanesboro; Mr. Wm. Stoelk Sr., Arcadia; Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Stoelk Jr. and children of West Side; Mrs. Emma Becker, Browndale, Minn., Mr. and Mrs. Harry Stoelk and Lester of Manilla; Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Backhaus, Mr. and Mrs. Lengheim, Mrs. J. J. McMahon and Madonna, all of Manilla, Mr. and Mrs. E. O. Heydt and children of Waltham, Minn.. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Neuman of Irwin; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Stuhr, Mr. and Mrs. Heinle Otto, Botna; Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Nulle, Manilla; Mr. Lawren Stoelk and Miss Lois Rohe of Wall Lake, Mrs. Reese E. Beam and Mrs. Bernice Fletchall, both of Grimes. Mrs. Beam's husband had been a pal of Leon Stoelk and had been his companion since Leon entered the service. He also took part in the battle in which Leon met his death.

Others present were Mrs. Ida Zender of Carroll, Mr. and Mrs. George Keat and family, Carroll; Mrs. D. H. Garvin, Clear Lake; Miss Nell Keat, Omaha and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Keat, Audubon.

Harry Martin Keat
Harry Martin Keat was born December 20, 1892 near Manning. He spent his boyhood days on the farm with his parents, and in 1911 he enlisted in the Navy serving for 4 years, then returned to Manning where he remained till he again enlisted in the Navy for World War I serving at that time for 3 years on a submarine chaser. Then he returned to Manning where he farmed for himself for several years. After retiring from the farm he was employed in government projects in California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Then on Dec. 9th, two days after Pearl Harbor attack, he again applied for enlistment in the Navy and was sworn in Feb. 13, 1942 and was put in command of the Gunners crew on an oil tanker, the S.S. Gulfoil. He was listed as missing on May 16th, 1942 when the ship was torpedoed and sunk in the gulf of Mexico, and on May 17, 1943 he was presumed to have lost his life. He leaves the following relatives; his father, R. S. Keat of Manning; four brothers and four sisters. They are John and Albert of Manning; Arthur of Audubon, George of Storm Lake; Mable, Mrs. Emma Mincey, both of Manning; Nell of Omaha. Nebr.. and Mrs. D. H. Garvin (Ethel) of Clear Lake. His mother passed away in 1940.

Harry Keat Is Proclaimed Dead By War Dept
Relatives of Harry Martin Keat have received a communication from the Government giving then details on the previous report received in May 1942 that Harry Keat Gunner's Mate second class, was missing in action in the Gulf of Mexico.
The communication states that he was a member of the armed guard crew on board the SS Gulfoil when that tanker was torpedoed and sunk in the Gulf of Mexico on May 16, 1942.
Part of the crew abandoned ship in life rafts but Mr. Keat was not seen to leave the ship.

The communication also quotes, "in view of the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and the length of time elapsed since he was declared missing, the Secretary of the Navy has reviewed that case in accordance with Section 5, Public Law 490, 77th Congress, as amended.
He has directed that Harry Keat is officially presumed to have lost his life on the 17th day of May 1943, which is the day following the day of expiration of an absence of twelve months."
Randall Jacobs,
Rear Admiral, U. S. Navy,
Chief of Naval Personnel.

Navy Reports Harry M. Keat, Manning
Missing 19-Year-Old Seaman
Was Serving Third Time in U.S. Navy
Harry M. Keat of the U.S. Navy, has been reported missing since May 12, 1942, according to an official telegram received by his father, Richard S. Keat, of Manning today.
Keat was in command of the gunners' crew of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Mexico when last heard from by his family.
Keat, who was 49 years old, has been in the navy at three different times, his first period of service being for four years before World War I. He served also during that war.
Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor last December 1941, he obtained special permission from the government to enlist again. He was accepted for service February 13, 1942.
The seaman's brothers and sisters are Jack, Albert, Mrs. Emma Mincey, Mabel, and Nell Keat of Manning; Arthur, Audubon; Mrs. D.H. Garvin (Ethel), Clear Lake, and George, of Carroll.
His mother died in November 1940.