A Note to Our Readers
Phil Keith, who died in March 2021, was a Southampton resident and author who wrote often about his military career, in published books and in a regular column for The Press and, later, The Express News Group newspapers. Keith served in the U.S. Navy, including during the Vietnam War, and he was interred at Calverton National Cemetery with military honors.
In response to an allegation by an online “stolen valor” watchdog group, which follows up on claims that veterans have falsified their military records, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service conducted a special inquiry into allegations that Keith had misrepresented and embellished elements of his military career.
In July, the NCIS issued a report concluding that Keith was on active duty with the U.S. Navy from June 1968 until April 1973, when he received an honorable discharge as a lieutenant. Later, after serving as a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve, he received an other-than-honorable discharge in 1986 after he was convicted of fraud-related charges in California. He was a commander in the Naval Reserves at the time of his discharge.
Keith had claimed in his writings to have retired from the Navy with the rank of captain (sel.), but the NCIS investigation concluded that the document in Keith’s military record detailing that rank “is suspected of being fraudulent.”
The same suspect document stated that Keith had been awarded the Navy Cross, two Purple Hearts and the Distinguished Flying Cross during his service — but the NCIS has determined that Keith did not receive any of those awards, although he did receive other military honors.
The NCIS closed the investigation without taking any action, noting that no “fraud loss” to the Navy or federal government was identified.
