World War II Honoree

Raymond Fortier

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Douglas, Massachusetts

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE ON FEBRUARY 7, 1942. ONE OF THE ‘BOYS OF DOUGLAS’ WHO SERVED DURING THE WAR. VOLUNTEERED AND WAS ASSIGNED FOR DUTY WITH ARMY AIRBORNE FORCES. SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED AIRBORNE GLIDER TRAINING AND WAS AWARDED HIS SILVER GLIDER BADGE (WINGS). SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER AT CAMP MACKALL AT HOFFMAN, NORTH CAROLINA IN 1943-44. MOVED WITH HIS UNIT TO THE TENNESSEE MANEUVER AREA IN FEBRUARY, 1944 TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2ND ARMY NO.5 MANEUVERS, AND TO CAMP FORREST AT TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE IN MARCH, 1944. HIS REGIMENT STAGED AT CAMP MYLES STANDISH AT BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS ON AUGUST 14, 1944 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE BOSTON PORT OF EMBARKATION ON AUGUST 20, 1944 AND ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON AUGUST 28, 1944. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH COMPANY I, 3RD BATTALION, 194TH GLIDER INFANTRY REGIMENT, 17TH AIRBORNE ‘GOLDEN TALONS’ DIVISION. PARTICIPATED IN THE RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. HIS DIVISION WAS FLOWN BY EMERGENCY NIGHT FLIGHTS TO THE REIMS AREA OF FRANCE ON DECEMBER 24, 1944 IN RESPONSE TO THE GERMAN ARDENNES COUNTEROFFENSIVE AND WENT INTO DEFENSIVE POSITIONS ALONG THE MEUSE RIVER. ATTACKED FROM THE NEUFCHATEAU, FRANCE AREA ON JANUARY 3, 1945, SOME 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF BASTOGNE, BELGIUM AND GAINED AND LOST GROUND OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT WEEK BUT WERE SUCCESSFUL IN HELPING STOP GERMAN MOMENTUM AND REDUCING THE BULGE. HIS UNIT THEN PURSUED RETREATING GERMAN FORCES AND TOOK THE TOWNS OF ESPELER AND WATTERMAL IN BELGIUM BY JANUARY 26, 1945. NEXT, ASSAULTED THE OUR RIVER LINE ON FEBRUARY 6, 1945, CROSSED THE RIVER AND ESTABLISHED A BRIDGEHEAD WHICH CAME UNDER HEAVY ENEMY ATTACKS. MADE AN AIRBORNE ASSAULT, CODE NAMED ‘OPERATION VARSITY,’ EAST OF THE RHINE RIVER, NORTH OF WESEL, GERMANY ON MARCH 24, 1945. HIS REGIMENT SUFFERED HEAVY LOSSES DURING THE ASSAULT PHASE WHEN HIS GLIDER FORMATION FLEW OVER A CONCENTRATION OF GERMAN ANTIAIRCRAFT ARTILLERY EMPLACEMENTS EN ROUTE TO THE LANDING ZONE. HIS UNIT REORGANIZED ON LANDING, FOUGHT OFF STRONG GERMAN GROUND AND ARTILLERY ATTACKS, AND TOOK THE TOWN OF DIERSFORDT, GERMANY. THEN ATTACKED ACROSS THE ISSEL CANAL AND TOOK POSITIONS NEAR THE ERLE-SCHERMBECK ROAD ON MARCH 27, 1945. HIS COMPANY WAS GIVEN THE MISSION TO ATTACK LEMBECK CASTLE, WHICH HAD BEEN TURNED INTO A FORTIFIED POSITION BY THE GERMANS. COMPANY I ATTEMPTED 3 FRONTAL ASSAULTS BUT WERE REPULSED WITH HEAVY CASUALTIES. HE WAS WOUNDED IN ACTION ON MARCH 28, 1945 DURING THE ASSAULT ON THE CASTLE DURING THE CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGN. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PURPLE HEART FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED IN ACTION, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH BRONZE ARROWHEAD (COMBAT GLIDER LANDING) AND 3 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (3 CAMPAIGNS), AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON AUGUST 6, 1945 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.