Henry Rene De Keyrel was born on November 10, 1922 in Rock Island County, Illinois. He was the son of Rene DeKeyrel and Helena Van Landegem DeKeyrel. Henry enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in September of 1942. He attained the rank of SSGT and was deployed with the Eighth Air Force as a ball turret gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress with the 561st Bomber Squadron of the 388th Bomber Group (Heavy). He was stationed at Knettishall AFB, East Anglia, England.

On October 2, 1943 after a bombing run over Emden, Germany, his aircraft sustained heavy damage and went down over the North Sea. His body was never recovered. Henry's name is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands. He also has a cenotaph located in Saint Mary's Cemetery, East Moline, Rock Island County, Illinois. He was one of the many brave Americans of the 388th Bomber Group who lost their lives in aerial operations against the German forces from June 1943 - August 1945.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov