Jeremiah J. O’Keefe was born on July 12, 1923, in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. During the Great Depression, his family lost their home and moved to Biloxi, Mississippi.

When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Jerry was in college, and quickly signed up for US Navy flight training. After completing flight training, he transferred to the Marine Corps, and was assigned to VMF-323 flying the F4U Corsair. On April 22, 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, Jerry became an “Ace in a day”, shooting down 5 Japanese aircraft, all kamikazes headed for American ships. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions that day, and was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Air Medals for his service. In 2015, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

After the war, he served in the Mississippi State Legislature, and as Mayor of Biloxi, during which time he opposed the Ku Klux Klan’s presence in Biloxi. He was also a patron of the arts, supporting both the Walter Anderson Museum of Art and the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art. Jerry passed away at the age of 93 in 2016.