Richard "Keith" Wilson was born on July 19, 1923 in Montrose, Kansas to Harold L. and Maisie Wilson. He moved with his parents and siblings (Carl, Idanell, and Clyde) when he was about six years old to Spokane, Washington and a few years later to Desmet, Idaho. Keith graduated from Plummer High school in 1942, and was drafted into the U. S. Army one year later.

He served with the 71st Infantry Division and saw combat in Germany and Austria. While in Austria, the divison liberated Gunskirchen Lager, a concentration camp constructed near the end of 1944. Thousands of people who were evacuated from Mauthausen and forced into death marches filled the new camp. Most were Jews from Hungary. When the 71st Division entered the camp, there were about 15,000 people imprisoned and about 1,500 had died before the division came. Keith was present during the liberation.

After Keith came home and was discharged from the military, he took over the family farm in North Idaho. He married Florence Viola Eckhardt in 1959. Keith passed away on June 19, 2017 in Spokane, Washington. In 2023, Carol Kauppila, Wilson's niece, started an edowment fund in his name at the University of Idaho.