William Jerald “Billy” Keeney was born on November 27, 1919 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. He was the son of Wilbur John Keeney and Marguerite Bridget Lease/Keeney Verbraken. He served in the US Air Corps as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot of an aircraft during World War II. He was flying a mission when their plane was shot down over Kajitu, Burma. There were no survivors. He died on December 10, 1943 and is now buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA in a common grave with his crew. He also has a cenotaph located in alvary Cemetery, Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. Billy was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.