PORT ANGELES — Marine Corps veteran Tom McKeown Sr. received the state’s Outstanding Veteran Volunteer of 2007 award Tuesday.
Clallam County commissioners hosted the ceremony that was attended by about a dozen scarlet-jacketed and capped members of Mount Olympus Detachment 897 of the Marine Corps League, which McKeown founded.
It was a second statewide award for McKeown, who was honored as Teacher of the Year in 1967.
He served in the Pacific theater during World War II and fought at Guadalcanal, which the Marines wrested from Japanese troops in 1943.
He is the father of Cathleen McKeown, former Clallam County Auditor.
As Mike Gregoire, the husband of Gov. Chris Gregoire, and Marine Corps League Commandant Dan Abbott looked on, John E. Lee presented the award and listed McKeown’s accomplishments.
Lee directs the state Department of Veterans Affairs.
McKeown, he said, helped found Voices for Vets, a Clallam County group that helps homeless veterans and organizes annual Veterans Stand Down events in Port Angeles and Forks.
McKeown also was instrumental in pushing for a Veterans Affairs clinic in Port Angeles and in gathering 7,000 Toys for Tots in 2006.
“He is dedicated to the difficult tasks,” Lee said, “reaching out to homeless veterans.”
Answered McKeown, “I’m just a representative of others who did as much, some of them more.”
