Patrick O'Keefe

Patrick “Patty” O'Keefe (April 3, 1926 – February 8, 2003) was an American Army soldier and World War II veteran. He served as a Private First Class with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, joining the company as a replacement during the final months of the European campaign. Born in Northampton, Massachusetts, O'Keefe enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II and was sent to Europe in 1945. He joined Easy Company as a replacement and participated in the final stages of the company's campaign in Germany. He was present when the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment liberated the Landsberg concentration camp in April 1945. O'Keefe's experiences were featured in Stephen E. Ambrose's 1992 book Band of Brothers and in the HBO miniseries based on the book. He was portrayed by Matt Hickey in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, appearing primarily in the ninth episode, “Why We Fight.” O'Keefe also appeared as himself in the companion HBO documentary We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company, where he shared his memories of his wartime service. O'Keefe died on February 8, 2003, at the age of 76.