On Monday, President Bush posthumously awarded Master Sgt. Woodrow Wilson Keeble the Medal of Honor. Keeble, the first Sioux Indian to receive the nation's highest award, died in 1982. “On behalf of our grateful nation, I deeply regret that this tribute comes decades too late,” President Bush said. Though fellow soldiers, family and friends had been trying for years—twice the paperwork was lost—the deadline for the award eventually passed. This year, Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Tim Johnson (D-SD) and John Thune (R-SD) introduced legislation to ensure the rightful awarding of this medal.

Keeble was a veteran of World War II and Korea, where he received more than 30 citations, including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with combat “V” for Valor and two Purple Hearts. It was in Korea that his actions earned the Medal of Honor. In 1951, Keeble was fighting with George Company of the 164th Infantry Regiment. He was wounded in battle on 15 October, and then again on 17, 18 and 20 October. He received the Silver Star for his bravery on the 18th, and on the 19th doctors removed 83 pieces of shrapnel from his body, including his face, and tended to two rifle wounds in his left arm. On the 20th, Keeble was back in action; he killed a dozen enemy soldiers and took out three machine-gun bunkers, saving a number of his men. His men recommended him for the Medal. During Monday's ceremony, the President concluded, “We can tell his story, and we can honor his memory, and we can follow his lead.”

It is always good to see an act of justice…even when it is long over-due. I am reminded by a conversation I had last evening with two well known acquaintances. One said to me that McCain was a hero, the other spoke-up and said he wasn't. I said that by definition he certainly was…his response…”not in my opinion.”

I suppose our hero Master Sgt. Woodrow Wilson Keeble too was judged by some unspoken bias.