Raymond W. O'Keefe, 1969

Our Omega Mu brothers who served in the military are cherished and constant fraternal friends, and we would like to say thank you for the steadfast, purposeful commitment you made to our nation to defend those four freedoms we all believe in: “Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.” For those brothers who were killed in defense of these freedoms, they will always occupy a consecrated place in our linked fraternal heart because they exemplify the idea of superlative commitment, strength, and fortitude for the good to the end itself. The greatness of their collective purpose and will, on our nation’s behalf, will never be forgotten. By their “clear-eyed faith and fearless heart,” these brothers have left us a fraternal legacy that echoes what we often say about Omega Mu Fijis: “Perseverance and determination are omnipotent.” Their code of integrity, courage, duty, responsibility, and self-sacrifice on behalf of our nation is a powerful legacy that we will always be proud of as Omega Mu Fijis. ​

Whether it was at Red River, Marianna, San Juan Hill, Santiago de Cuba, Sulu Archipelago, Chateau-Thierry, Verdun, El Guettar, Elba, Monte Della Vedetta, Saarbrucken, the Battle of the Bulge, Rabaul, Inchon, Pusan, Chosin Reservoir, Pork Chop Hill, Hue, Easter Offensive, Phu Cat, The Iron Triangle, Hamburger Hill, la Drang Valley, Bien Hoa, Khe Sanh, Beirut, Libya, Rumaila, Al-Batin, Medina Ridge, Kabul, Kandahar, our Omega Mu brothers have demonstrated devotion to duty in defense of freedom and liberty. They are the stability of our nation, and we, the Omega Mu brotherhood, revere, honor, and salute their persevering and determined spirit within our great nation and our historic brotherhood. We will always be grateful for the military service of every Omega Mu veteran from the Civil War to the present. We remember them and honor their sacrifices. Thank you.

Omega Mu Veteran
Raymond W. O'Keefe,
1969

Omega Mu Years

​Housemothers Mrs. Clary, Mrs. Pratt, Mrs. Hammons

L-R: Dave Smith, Mike McInnis on the first step, Dan Dodge wearing glasses, Pete Frost straddling the railing, and Ray O'Keefe wearing the gray sweater.

Four Sophomore Owls and a Senior Skull.
Standing: Mike Soloby, Fred Galella, John Duffy.
Seated: Dave Goode and Ray O'Keefe, the Senior Skull.

Ray O'Keefe with the broom

Sophomore class president

Sophomore Owls: Ray O'Keefe and Grant Watkins

Ray O'Keefe and Emerson Gorham

Ray O'Keefe is in the second row from the top, third in from the left. 

Ray O'Keefe, second from the left with the Coon Plaque.

Military Career

Lieutenant O'Keefe's first command assignment was with the 17th Calvary, Pleiku, Vietnam.

Pleiku

Ray O'Keefe in Pleiku

Easter Offensive, 1972

7th Cavalry, Fort Riley

​Ray O'Keefe's next assignment was with the 7th Cavalry in Fort Riley, Kansas

Ray O'Keef's next post was with the 8th Army in Yongsan, South Korea

​Memorial honoring the 8th Army

4th  Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 
Aschaffenburg, Germany

Ray O'Keefe served as the executive officer of the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor in Aschaffenburg, Germany

Aschaffenburg

Map of Aschaffenburg and Wurzburg, Germany

After being the being the executive officer the 64th Armor Regiment Aschaffenburg, Ray spent the next three years in Wurzburg, Germany, on staff with the 3rd Infantry Division.

3rd Infantry patch

3rd Infantry flag

Wurzburg

3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry

National Military Command Center

National Military Command Center, Pentagon

Office of the Chief of Staff

Ray O'Keefe was an escort for President George H. W. Bush for a day.

L-R: Dave Smith, Ray O'Keefe, Emerson Gorham, John Lothridge, and Mike O'Leary

“What if the space be long and wide,
That parts us from our brother’s side
A soul-joined chain unites our band,
And memory links us hand in hand.”
(Phi Gamma Delta fraternity song)

Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
Perge