PFC Fernand J. Raymond

courtesy of Frogman

PFC Fernand J. Raymond was born about 1918 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was the 6th of the 10 children born to Arthur Peter and Alice C. (Biri) Raymond. The Raymond family had been in the New Orleans area since before the War of 1812. His father worked for decades operating a pawn shop which became a finance office making loans. In 1940 Fernand was working as a sales clerk. His family was fairly well-to-do as his father reported a 1939 income of $3600 and declared the family home, at 2510 Dumaine in New Orleans, as valued at $6000. In October 1941 Fernand married Marie Louise Heider. The couple would have a daughter in December 1942.

Fernand was probably drafted in late 1942 or early 1943. After his basic military training he was sent to England and assigned to L Company 116th Infantry. He trained for and was with the unit in the amphibious assault on Omaha Beach on the coast of Normandy on 6 Jun 1944. PVT Raymond was promoted to PFC on 20 Jun 1944. He fought with the unit until killed in action on 19 Jul 1944.

PFC Raymond rests forever in the Normandy American Cemetery.

Great, great-grandfather, Charles Raymond fought under GEN Andrew Jackson in defense of New Orleans in the War of 1812. Great-grandfather Charles Paul Pierre Raymond was a PVT in B Company 23rd Louisiana Infantry in the Civil War.