MIGUEL KEITH ESB 5
Ship Name and Designation History
This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.
Naming Ceremony by SecNav Richard V. Spencer 5 November 2017 Keel Laid 30 January 2018 - Launched & Christened 19 October 2019 |
 "Always In The Fight" |
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This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each name of the ship (for example, Bushnell AG-32 / Sumner AGS-5 are different names for the same ship so there should be one set of pages for Bushnell and one set for Sumner). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).
Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.
- USS Miguel Keith T-ESB-5 / ESB-5 Covers Page 1 (2018-2021)
Postmarks
This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each name and/or commissioning period. Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.
A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an
image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN
THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the
existing example.
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Postmark Type |
Postmark Date |
Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image |
Thumbnail Link To Cover Image |
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Locy Type |
2023-10-17 |
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Collectors request, from the Foster E. Miller, III collection.
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Locy Type |
2023-10-17 |
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Collectors request, from the Foster E. Miller, III collection.
Other Information
NAMESAKE - Lance Corporal Miguel Keith, USMC (2 June 1951 – 8 May 1970)
Ordered to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California, on May 2, 1969 for recruit training, he completed training with the 1st Recruit Training Battalion on July 17, 1969. He was transferred to the Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California, for individual combat training with Company B, 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Training Regiment. On August 1, 1969, he was promoted to the rank of Private First Class.
Upon completion of individual combat training on September 18, 1969 he received orders to the Far East. On November 6, 1969, he arrived in the Republic of Vietnam and was assigned as a rifleman with the 1st Combined Action Group, III Marine Amphibious Force. On April 1, 1970, he was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal.
While participating in combat in Quang Ngai Province on May 8, 1970, he was mortally wounded in the action for which he received the Medal of Honor. When his platoon was under heavy attack from a numerically superior enemy, Keith was seriously wounded. Despite his wounds, he advanced on the enemy with machine gun fire, killing three of the enemy advancing on the command post and dispersing the others. He was severely wounded by a grenade during this charge. In spite of his wounds and loss of blood, he charged a group of 25 attackers, causing them to retreat for cover. He was mortally wounded by enemy fire. His actions contributed significantly to his platoon's success in routing the enemy.
His medals and decorations include: the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with one bronze star, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
The ships sponsor is Eliadora Delores Keith, LCpl Miguel Keith's mother.
NOTE - As of 21 January 2020, the US Navy Will Commission All Expeditionary Sea Bases as USS Warships (USNS to USS).
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