A San Diego-based Navy SEAL killed in action last week in Iraq will be buried today in private service at the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.
Petty Officer First Class Charles H. Keating IV, 31, was fatally shot in a May 3 battle with Islamic State forces in Tall Usquf, Iraq. According to the Navy, ISIS broke through the front lines north of the city of Mosul, and Keating’s SEAL team and air support were called in to repulse the attack.
The body of Keating — who grew up in Phoenix as a star long-distance runner and grandson of financier Charles Keating from the 1980s savings and loan scandal — was returned to Naval Base Coronado Wednesday, and the Navy held a memorial service Thursday.
A procession from Coronado to the cemetery is expected to begin around noon, and the Navy is encouraging the public to line the route along Sixth Street, beginning at Spreckels Park, to pay their respects.
The Navy announced Keating will be posthumously promoted to Chief Petty Officer. He was eligible for promotion and had passed his chief advancement exam, according to the Navy Times.
— City News Service