The Navy Seal killed in Iraq has been identified as Charlie Keating IV, the grandson of an Arizona financier who became the central figure in the 1980s savings and loan scandal.
The younger Mr. Keating was advising Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State terrorists in Iraq. He is the third U.S. serviceman to die since President Obama ordered U.S. forces to start fighting the Islamist group, also known as ISIS and ISIL, in 2014.
The identification of Mr. Keating was made Tuesday evening by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.
Mr. Ducey, in a statement ordering all state flags lowered to half-staff Wednesday and on the day of his funeral, identified Mr. Keating as a graduate of Arcadia High School in Phoenix.
“His death is a tragic reminder of the daily sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform – fighting evil and extremism on the front lines to protect freedom and democracy at home and throughout the world,” Mr. Ducey said. “Our thoughts, prayers and eternal gratitude are with Mr. Keating, his family, his fellow SEALs, and all of the brave Americans who’ve answered the call to serve.”
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the 31-year-old Mr. Keating was based in Coronado, Calif., and was engaged to be married to Brooke Clark.
His grandfather Charles Keating Jr. ran the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, the 1989 collapse of which cost the federal government $3 billion and left about 23,000 customers with worthless bonds. That particular bank became a symbol of the S&L collapse, because of the elder Keating’s financial contributions to, and requests for regulatory intervention from, five U.S. senators dubbed the “Keating Five.”
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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