Robert Prescott Keller (February 9, 1920 – November 13, 2010) was a highly decorated Naval aviator in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general.

He began his career as reserve pilot during World War II; he shot down one enemy aircraft and damaged two others during New Britain campaign.

After a brief stay there, squadron moved to Quoin Hill Airfield at New Hebrides from where they escorted allied bombers against ground targets at Green Islands and Bougainville.

[2][5][3][4][1] During the escort mission with his Vought F4U Corsair near Rabaul, New Britain, Keller destroyed one Japanese airplane and damaged two others and received Distinguished Flying Cross.

During the Japanese artillery shelling of the field on March 8, 1944, three aircraft were destroyed, one enlisted man killed and Keller has been hit with a shrapnel in the hip.

He subsequently assumed command of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 531 ("Grey Ghosts") and deployed to the Pacific theater again in order to cover the planned Invasion of Japan.

[2][7][3][4] While still at sea, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which forced Japan sign the surrender in September 1945.

Keller was transferred to the command of Marine Night Fighter Squadron 533 ("Black Mac's Killers") and embarked for North China in early October 1945.

In addition to his Distinguished Flying Cross and Purple Heart, Keller received ten awards of Air Medal for his bomber escort missions.

[2][4] During the postwar reduction of the Marine Corps, his squadron had only 24 Vought F4U Corsairs, but plenty of aviation fuel, so Keller was able to spend a lot of time on tactical maneuvers.

They embarked for South Korea in the middle of July 1950 and Keller's squadron established its headquarters at Itami Air Base, Japan, where it was equipped with bombs and rockets.

He then commanded Black Sheep Squadron during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter, where his aircraft attacked enemy equipment, personnel and railroad cars near Chinju and Sinban-ni.

[2][8][3][4] During September 1950, Keller participated in the landing at Inchon and Recapture of Seoul, when his aircraft successfully supported ground units advance and received his second and third Distinguished Flying Crosses.

[2][6][8][4][1] On November 11, 1950, Keller distinguished himself again, when on the mission of locating and attacking well-concealed enemy mortar and machine gun positions impeding the advancement of friendly forces in the vicinity of Yuha-ri and Ungi-gang.

Directing his strike group in a coordinated attack which covered the targets in a barrage of rockets, napalm and machine gun fire, he contributed materially to the success of friendly ground forces in advancing on their objective.

[2][6][4] Keller remained with the Black Sheep Squadron until November 18 that year, when he was appointed 1st Marine Aircraft Wing liaison officer to the Fifth Air Force-Eighth United States Army Joint Operations Center in Seoul.

[2][4] Upon his detachment from Headquarters Marine Corps in January 1956, he was ordered to the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia, where he completed the instruction in June that year and assumed duty as maneuver and exercise officer of the staff of the commander-in-chief, Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe with headquarters in Naples, Italy.

[2][4][1] Keller then returned to the United States and assumed duty as an instructor at the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia.

[2][4] While in this capacity, he served as Deputy consecutively to Major generals Louis B. Robertshaw and Norman J. Anderson and was co-responsible for the several hundred of transport, observation and fighter airplanes and helicopters of the Wing.