World War II Honoree

Raymond Henry DuBrule

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Windsor, Connecticut

Honored By

Heather DuBrule

Relationship

Granddaughter

COXSWAIN THIRD CLASS, SERVED FROM JULY 1943 TO APRIL 1946. CONDUCTED RECRUIT TRAINING AT NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND AND GUNNERY TRAINING AT NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT. FURTHER TRAINED AT THE NAVAL ARMED GUARD SCHOOLS AT BROOKLYN, NEW YORK AND NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA FOR NAVAL GUNNERY PROTECTION SERVICE ABOARD MERCHANT VESSELS. SERVED ABOARD THE LIBERTY SHIPS SS BERNARD N. BAKER FROM OCTOBER 1943 TO NOVEMBER 1944 AND SS JERRY S. FOLEY FROM DECEMBER 1944 TO JUNE 1945. SERVICE INCLUDED NUMEROUS CONVOY RUNS TO MURMANSK, RUSSIA AND VARIOUS PORTS OF CALL IN ALGERIA, ITALY, BELGIUM, FRANCE, SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND. WHILE ABOARD THE BAKER, A BATTLE STAR WAS EARNED FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE. ON DECEMBER 25, 1943, WHILE IN THE 20 SHIP CONVOY, JW-55, THE CONVOY WAS ATTACKED NORTH OF NORWAY BY THE GERMAN LIGHT BATTLESHIP SCHARNHORST IN THE BATTLE OF NORTH CAPE. AFTER AN INTENSE BATTLE WITH BRITISH AND NORWEGIAN ALLIED NAVAL VESSELS AND THE GUNS OF THE CONVOY, THE FOLLOWING DAY THE SCHARNHORST CAPSIZED AND SANK WITH HER PROPELLERS STILL TURNING. IN JUNE 1945, WHILE AT CAMP ELLIOT, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA AWAITING REASSIGNMENT TO THE PACIFIC, MEMBER TAUGHT BOXING TO NEW RECRUITS. DEPARTED BY TROOPSHIP AND SERVED IN GUAM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS; DEPARTED BY ESSEX CLASS AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS ANTIETAM CVA-36 FOR JINSEN (INCHON), KOREA. ON SEPTEMBER 26, 1946 SAILED FROM INCHON AND ALONG THE CHINA COAST ABOARD THE LARGE CRUISER USS ALASKA CB-1 FOR TSINGTAO, CHINA AND REMAINED THERE AT ANCHORAGE UNTIL NOVEMBER 13, 1946 IN SUPPORT OF THE 6TH MARINE DIVISION LANDINGS AND THEN RETURNED FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICE AT INCHON, KOREA. LATER, TOOK A TROOPSHIP FOR FINAL DUTY AT THE NAVAL FACILITIES, SHANGHAI, CHINA. RETURNED TO SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA BY TROOPSHIP, TRAVELED CROSS COUNTRY BY TRAIN AND WAS DISCHARGED AT LIDO BEACH, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK. AWARDED THE COMBAT ACTION RIBBON, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER MEDAL WITH ONE BRONZE STAR FOR THE SOUTHERN FRANCE CAMPAIGN, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, THE NAVY OCCUPATION MEDAL AND THE CHINA SERVICE MEDAL. LIBERTY SHIP CREW EARNED THE ATLANTIC WAR ZONE MEDAL AND THE MEDITERRANEAN WAR ZONE MEDAL. ALSO AWARDED THE 'RUPTURED DUCK' LAPEL PIN FOR HONORABLE SERVICE.