LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Phil Keith upon the occasion of being
selected as the May honoree of the Veteran's Flag Ceremony hosted by the
Hampton Bays Union Free School District

WHEREAS, Members of the Armed Services from the State of New York, who
have served so valiantly and honorably in wars in which this country's
freedom was at stake, as well as in the preservation of peace in peace-
time, deserve a special salute from this Legislative Body; and
WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to commend those
who have served in times of active conflict, as well as those who have
served in times of peace; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Phil Keith
upon the occasion of being selected as the May honoree of the Veteran's
Flag Ceremony hosted by the Hampton Bays Union Free School District; and
WHEREAS, The Hampton Bays Union Free School District, in partnership
with the American Legion Hand-Aldrich Post 924 and VFW Post 5350, proud-
ly honors Phil Keith for his service to the United States by flying a
flag in his honor for the entire month of May at the Hampton Bays
Elementary School; and
WHEREAS, Born in 1946, in Springfield, Massachusetts, Phil Keith grew
up in nearby East Long Meadow; after graduating in the first class of
East Long Meadow High School in 1964, he attended Harvard University; as
a freshman, he joined the Navy ROTC and was given a full scholarship for
his remaining three years at college; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from Harvard University in 1968, Phil Keith
was proudly commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy and
trained on several vessels, including both diesel and nuclear-powered
destroyers and submarines; and
WHEREAS, Phil Keith was then accepted to Navy Flight School in Pensa-
cola, Florida; for 14 months he learned to fly a prop driven T-34 train-
ing aircraft and a Lockheed F-9; after successfully completing flight
school, he studied advanced flight training on the iconic
McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom, where he learned to take off and land on
aircraft carriers and qualified on the USS Lexington; and
WHEREAS, In August of 1969, Phil Keith graduated flight school and
subsequently, earned his Gold Aviator's Wings; from there, he was
assigned to a combat fighter squadron, which was in need of a legal
officer, so he returned to school in Newport, Rhode Island; and
WHEREAS, In November of 1969, Phil Keith was assigned to the Fighting
Falcons, the squadron VF 96 aboard the USS Constellation, off the coast
of Ton-Kin in Vietnam; he and his fellow pilots flew close air support
missions to help the Marines in the jungles; and
WHEREAS, In addition, the Fighting Falcons flew combat air patrols,
flying protective cover for planes going into and coming out of North
Vietnam on bombing raids; and
WHEREAS, In the early 1970s, when he was on his second tour in Viet-
nam, Phil Keith was flying his 272nd mission when his F-4 was hit by a
North Vietnamese missile; Phil and his weapon systems officer were both
badly wounded and the F-4 was badly damaged, one engine was shot out and
there was a loss of flight control; and
WHEREAS, An expert pilot, Phil Keith managed to fly the crippled jet
back to the carrier; at that point, he realized that his arresting hook,
the piece of equipment across the back of the ship that grabs the land-
ing plane was not functioning; the crew of the USS Constellation quickly
rigged a huge net on the ship's deck and when Phil came in for a land-
ing, the net caught him as he careened down the flight deck; and

WHEREAS, For his meritorious service, Phil Keith was the recipient of
the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross for saving the life
of his WSO and managing the plane back to the carrier; Phil spent the
next six months recuperating in Hawaii and working as a legal officer;
and
WHEREAS, During this time, Phil Keith wrote several articles for local
papers about some universities removing ROTCs from their campuses due to
the unpopularity of the Vietnam War; these articles caught the attention
of Navy officials and consequently, Phil was assigned to work in an
Admiral's office; and
WHEREAS, A pilot at heart, Phil Keith was sent back to Vietnam for a
third tour; although his injuries precluded him from flying any aircraft
with an ejection seat, he transitioned to the Lockheed EP-3, an aircraft
used for spying and reconnaissance; and
WHEREAS, For the next 14 years, Phil Keith continued to serve in Naval
Intelligence, a position from which he retired after 24 years of active
duty; and
WHEREAS, After Phil Keith's much deserved retirement from the mili-
tary, he started to work at a software development company, where he
rose through the ranks, ultimately serving as its Vice President of
Marketing in Manhattan; and
WHEREAS, After visiting The Hamptons on Long Island, Phil Keith moved
to Water Mill in 1991, where he started his own consulting company and
served as the Executive in Residence at Long Island University; and
WHEREAS, An accomplished author, Phil Keith has written a book about
World War I, World War II and two books about the war in Vietnam;
currently, he is writing a book about Eugene Bullard, the first Afri-
can-American fighter pilot; and
WHEREAS, With him throughout have been his three daughters, and one
son, all of whom feel privileged to be a part of his life and rejoice in
his accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, The dedication and sacrifices of our military personnel
ensure our continued role as a Nation which embodies the ideals of
democracy, and is a defender of liberty for peoples throughout the
world; and
WHEREAS, Having exhibited their patriotism both at home and abroad,
these men and women demonstrated their love for their country and merit
forevermore, the highest respect of their State and Nation; and
WHEREAS, Our Nation's veterans deserve to be recognized, commended and
thanked by the people of the State of New York for their service and for
their dedication to their communities, their State and their Nation;
.SO DOC S R5521 RESO TEXT 2015
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Phil Keith upon the occasion of being selected as the May hono-
ree of the Veteran's Flag Ceremony hosted by the Hampton Bays Union Free
School District; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Phil Keith.