"June 6, 1944 before day break, somewhere over the English Channel: "I looked down and I could see all kinds of ships, I think you could jump from ship to ship…I jumped (parachuted) into D-Day (Normandy Invasion), I was one of the first to go in to set-up D-Zones (drop zones), to set-up a secret instrument (Pathfinder) to guide the planes carrying other paratroopers, my 'stick' jumped first (one Pathfinder and seven men for protection)."

Once free of the parachute, Raymond activated the Pathfinder, alerting other C-47's that it was a safe drop zone. As the first Americans to engage the Germans during the Normandy Invasion, the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions had close to 50 percent casualties overall. Several months later, Raymond and his comrades of the 82nd witnessed face to face combat with the feared German 6th SS Army at the Battle of the Bulge.

"It was real close combat… I could smell the powder it was that close…hand to hand combat with knives (bayonets). I was 19 (and) the hardest thing I ever saw was watching a guy shooting at me…I saw a lot of American's killed that day. There was a company of us on this hill holding this line. German tanks and German SS were shooting at us point blank with their 88's on their tanks. We held, it was close, only 13 left out of our company, then we took the village of Clervaux (Belgium). Our unit received the Presidential Unit Citation…It was cold, it was like Montana."

We the People thank you Raymond for your dedicated and courageous service. May your Bronze Star arrive soon my friend.