David Lloyd Raymond

1928 - 2017

David was born on November 24, 1928, in Massachusetts. His father, Lloyd Raymond, was 27 and his mother, Dorothy 21. In Despite being still a teenager, David was determined to serve in the Second World War, and in 1944 at the age of just 15, he enlisted. In his early months of service, he was posted to several forts for training such as Ft Devens Massachusetts, Ft McClellan, Ft Benning Georgia and Camp Kilmer New Jersey. During this time, he volunteered for the Air Borne and joined company E of the 508th Parachute Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division.

Raymond in his Airborne uniform, c.1945

David was then shipped to England where he undertook further training in the area of South Hampton. It is believed that shortly after this David took part in the combat jumps into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden, earning a star for his jump wings. In his bible he lists the locations he saw action as being Le Harve France, Liege Belgium and Aachen Germany. At the wars end he helped occupy Berlin for a short time before being withdrawn to Frankfurt and later shipped home.

In Despite being still a teenager, David was determined to serve in the Second World War, and in 1944 at the age of just 15, he enlisted. In his early months of service, he was posted to several forts for training such as Ft Devens Massachusetts, Ft McClellan, Ft Benning Georgia and Camp Kilmer New Jersey. During this time, he volunteered for the Air Borne and joined company E of the 508th Parachute Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division. David was then shipped to England where he undertook further training in the area of South Hampton. It is believed that shortly after this David took part in the combat jumps into Holland as part of Operation Market Garden, earning a star for his jump wings. In his bible he lists the locations he saw action as being Le Harve France, Liege Belgium and Aachen Germany. At the wars end he helped occupy Berlin for a short time before being withdrawn to Frankfurt and later shipped home.

He arrived home in Boston, Massachusetts and shortly after was discharged from the paratroopers. David didn’t take to civilian life and only 3 months later he enlisted into the army again in 1947. This time he joined the regular infantry. On the 20th of October 1951 he returned to France and 3 days later was posted to the Rhine Ammunition Depot, 925 Bomb Disposal Unit. Between that date and August 1st, he moved around France, writing in his bible that he was at Ingrades, Bassan-Bordeaux and Paris. He then departed from Bremerhaven Germany yet again and returned to America aboard the USNS "Ballou", arriving in New York City on the 2nd of September 1952. Just over a month later on the 11 of October he embarked aboard the USNS Gorpon, his destination being Korea. He arrived in Yokohama, Japan on the 23 and after a 2 day stay re-embarked arriving at Inchon, Korea on the 30th. Once in Korea David found himself assigned to the 31st Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.

Leaning against a sign for a ramen factory in Korea, c.1953

David saw action at some of the bloodiest battles of the war. Between his arrival on the 30th and the 25th of November he saw action at the Battle of Triangle hill, an engagement which mixed success was achieved for both sides. Throughout 1953 he saw further action at the battles of Pork Chop Hill and Old Boldy Hill, both of which resulted in heavy casualties for the regiment, earning the 31st a fierce reputation in Korea.

Holding a monkey in South Vietnam, c.1968

Following an end to the hostilities in Korea, it appears that David left the 31st at some stage. It is unclear what unit he was posted to but in the mid to late 1950s he completed his second tour of Germany. It was in this time that he met his wife, Sonja.

In the late 1960s he completed a tour of Vietnam, posted with 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, 18th Engineer Brigade. It is unclear what the exact details of his service here are, however, based on photographs of the period it is likely that he earned a Bronze Star with a V device during this tour.

Shortly after Vietnam, during the early 1970s, David resigned from the military with the rank of First Sergeant. Shortly after he moved his family to Australia where he would become the president of the American Legion "Yanks Down Under". David would pass away during a holiday to Singapore on the June 28, 2017. He was aged 88.

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