U.S. Army Europe Commander Lt. Gen. Donald M. Campbell Jr., along with USAREUR Command Sgt. Maj. David Davenport and William Broughton, grandson of former Seventh Army commander Lt. Gen. Geoffrey Keyes, unveil the new Keyes building sign during USAREUR’s headquarters building dedication ceremony in Wiesbaden Nov. 14. USAREUR paid tribute to the former Seventh Army commander whose leadership contributed to the strategic and operational direction the U.S. Army took in establishing initial presence in Europe.
U.S. Army Europe paid tribute to former Seventh Army commander Lt. Gen. Geoffrey Keyes when it named its headquarters in his honor during a ceremony on Clay Kaserne Nov. 14.
USAREUR Commander Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell Jr., hosted the dedication ceremony.
“It is fitting that we continue Gen. Keyes’ legacy by rededicating the headquarters of U.S. Army Europe as the Keyes Building,” Campbell said. “This dedication also serves as a beacon looking toward the future, reaffirming the relationship built over the last seven decades with our European allies.”
Keyes’ ties to the U.S. Army in Europe can be traced back to his command during the World War II era. He commanded Seventh Army’s Provisional Corps in 1943, which helped capture Palermo, Sicily; II Corps from 1944 to 1945, which participated in the Battle for Rome; and Seventh and Third Armies from 1945 to 1947, helping build post-war Germany. His leadership contributed to the strategic and operational direction the U.S. Army took in establishing its initial presence in Europe.
Gen. George S. Patton Jr., then I Armored Corps commander, referred to deputy commander Keyes as a tireless and loyal worker with sound judgment and a tactical mind.
“In many ways, Gen. Keyes is responsible for setting the foundations for executing security operations, capacity building and military engagement as we know it today,” said Campbell.
The dedication comes just two months after the closure of Campbell Barracks in Heidelberg, the location of USAREUR’s former headquarters building, also named after Keyes.
Also in attendance, representing the Keyes family, was grandson William Keyes Broughton. He took the opportunity to reflect on the family’s fond memories of Gen. Keyes.
“He has been an inspiration to us,” Broughton said. “Not only was he an outstanding military figure, but a devoted grandfather. We are extremely proud of him and pleased that the U.S. Army is commemorating one of its own.”