| COL Charles Walker Raymond II
United States Army • No. 9096 • Class of 1931Died March 18, 1989 in Glens Falls, New York, at the age of 80Interment: West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York
CHARLES WALKER RAYMOND II was born at Washington Barracks, DC, on February 18, 1909. Receiving a Presidential appointment to the Military Academy, Charles followed a family tradition in the Long Gray Line. Raymond served 14 years with horse-and truck-drawn field artillery units. In the 1930s, he performed battery and battalion staff duties in regiments at Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Madison Barracks, New York; and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Just prior to World War II, he served with the 50th Field Artillery Battalion at Fort Knox, Kentucky, deploying to Iceland in early 1942. He joined the 34th (Red Bull) Infantry Division in Northern Ireland, assuming command of the 185th Field Artillery Battalion, leading it in North Africa, then serving on the 34th Division Artillery staff in the Italian Campaign. He completed his combat service as executive officer, 423rd Field Artillery Group, Fifth Army, earning the Bronze Star Medal.
In the 16 years following the war, Raymond served in various command and staff positions. He was Executive Officer of Troops (later the 1802nd Special Regiment). He was a member of the G-3 Section (Operations), Army Field Forces, at Fort Monroe, Virginia. While there, he was issued a patent for invention of the Artillery Testudo, a device to protect towed howitzer crews.
In the 1950s, Raymond served in politico-military and reserve affairs positions. He was Army attaché in Korea at the time of the Armistice; senior Army advisor for Reserves, Connecticut Military District; and during 1958–60 he was chief, Military Mission, Nicaragua.
He completed active service as the commander, Western Sector, XXth Army Corps, Fort Hayes, Ohio.
In addition to the Bronze Star Medal, he held the American Defense Service Medal with Overseas Bar and the European/African/Middle Eastern Theatre Campaign Medal with five Battle Stars, among others. Foreign awards include Korea’s Ulchi Distinguished Military Service Medal with Silver Star and the United Nations Service Medal.
During his Army career, Raymond was a student at the Field Artillery School, the Army Command and General Staff College, the Army Language School (for Korean), the Strategic Intelligence School, and the Navy Language School (for Spanish).
Charles Raymond retired on January 31, 1961, returning to Cambridge, New York.
Raymond was the son of Colonel Robert R. Raymond, Class of 1893. His grandfather was BG Charles Walker Raymond, Class of 1865; his mother was the daughter of LTC William Rice King, Class of 1863, and granddaughter of CPT Israel Carle Woodruff, Class of 1836. Raymond’s brother, COL Robert R. Jr., graduated with the Class of June 1919. |
