Oakland Resident's Unknown War Model Collection

As I sit down to write this article, I honestly don’t know where to start.  I guess I need to start at the beginning! The people in this town are always so helpful and always want to help with article ideas. I get people that reach out to me on a weekly basis, giving me ideas for articles.  And I LOVE it!  Last month someone reached out to me to tell me that they have a great idea for an article.  As always, I was intrigued by this gentleman’s story even though it has been 8 years since his passing.

According to his obituary, Daniel Keough interviewed prominent figures and participated in industry milestones as editor of the Port Authority’s award-winning international commerce magazine.  He was a resident of Oakland since 1966 and was 83 when he passed away on June 18, 2015. He is also author of the book, "No Tombstones In The Sea" which is a fictional tale of combat afloat and the women left behind. 

Dan spent his entire life as a professional writer starting at 15 years old when he won his first prize for an advertisement entered in a New York City – wide contest.  He received his B.A. at NYU in 1956 and later years took postgraduate courses in Journalism at NYU and City College. He wrote everything from industrial films and magazines to press releases and speeches for top executives. 

While Dan worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for 29 years, he not only planned and edited content but also wrote the majority of feature articles in their monthly magazine which had subscribers in more than 140 countries. His work on their magazine earned him, among other honors, a commendation from the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Port Authority’s “Medal of Special Achievement.”

And here is where his story gets even more interesting!  Dan TRANSFORMED his Oakland home into a museum to house what is regarded by many as the finest, most complete private collection of naval ship models and military aircraft models in the United States!  Some experts say that Dan’s collection was valued at over a half a million dollars. Dan had over 3,500 scale models, many of which were built during WWII for allied and axis navies.  He also had a 6-foot scale model of the Japanese cruiser, Suzuya, that was displayed during WWII in the Japanese Naval Officers Club at the Yakosuka Naval Base.

Dan’s collection continued with over 1,000 wooden warship models and over 5,000 reference books on warships, fighting aircrafts, and other military hardware.  He also had almost a complete set of Jane’s Fighting Ships including the first 1898 edition.

Dan started collecting models at the age of 5 years old! He also built models throughout his childhood. He started his career in the military at 17 when he went to sea with the U.S. Navy.  Since his passing in 2015, his impressive collection can be seen at the Smithsonian. As a neighbor explained it to me “After Dan’s passing, the Smithsonian came with 3 or 4 trucks and loaded his collection up!”  I am sure that Dan’s collection will continue to awe people for many years to come!

P.S. If anyone is interested is reading his book, please reach out to me directly as I have a few copies.