Lt. Gen. William M. Keys, a decorated war veteran and former president and CEO of Colt Defense and Colt’s Manufacturing Company, passed away on Jan. 24.
Keys was born on March 29, 1937, in Fredericktown, Pa., and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1960. He was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism during Operation Prairie II in 1967, where he led his company against numerically superior North Vietnamese forces. Keys held a series of vital command and staff positions, culminating in his service as Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic, and other joint commands until his retirement in 1994.
In addition to the Navy Cross, his military decorations include two Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with Combat “V,” Bronze Star with Combat “V,” Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze stars and numerous foreign honors, including the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm.
After retiring from active duty, Keys continued his distinguished legacy of leadership as president and CEO of Colt Defense and Colt’s Manufacturing Company. In a 2007 interview, he said, “I trusted Colt my whole life and I would recommend that you look at Colt weapons as something that you can count on in the future.” His passion for the brand resulted in a notable turnaround credited to his leadership. One employee told American Rifleman in 2011, “You just don’t want to let the general down.”
