Relatives join grave tribute to brave sailor
BY JAMES MONCUR j.moncur@dailyrecord.co.uk A WAR hero who was awarded American’s top gallantry medal has finally been given a fitting memorial.
Francis Kelly won the Congressional Medal of Honour in the 1890s after leaving Anderston, Glasgow, for America and joining the US navy.
He returned to Scotland, where he died, aged 77, in 1938 and he was buried in Sandymount Cemetery, near Shettleston.
Francis’s overgrown grave was marked only with a tiny wooden stake.
Last year, a group of ex Paras from the Airborne Forces Association Scotland found it.
They cleaned it up and arranged for a new cross and plaque to be made honouring the heroic sailor.
Yesterday, Francis’s headstone was finally unveiled with full military honours as relatives, veterans and military officials from America and Spain looked on.
Francis’s great-greatgreat grandson Craig Houston, 33, of Glasgow, was stunned to learn about his hero relative.
The construction worker added: “We are so proud to be related to such a brave man.
“It came as such a huge shock when we found out about him and what he’d done. We hadn’t heard of him until a few weeks ago. We’ll make sure he’s never forgotten.”
Francis was awarded the medal after he sunk a battleship to stop the enemy using it during the Spanish-American war.
Former Para Jim Colquhoun said: “The ceremony was fitting for someone as gallant.”