Remembering World War II

Name: Harold David Raymond Rank: Corporal Service Number: 263127 Service: Company N, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, United States Marine Corps Awards: Purple Heart Date of Birth: January 3, 1919 Place of Birth: Swamscott, Massachusetts Date of Enlistment: January 6, 1937 Place of Enlistment: Massachusetts Age at Enlistment: 18 Address at Enlistment: Swamscott, Massachusetts Marital Status: Single at enlistment Occupation: United States Marine since 1937 Religion: Protestant Date of Death: October 14, 1942 Age: 23 Cemetery: Swampscott Cemetery, Essex County, Massachusetts Harold David Raymond was the son of Delbert Alanzo (1892-1949) and Grace Sarah (Currie) Raymond (1889- 1953). His father was born in Short Beach near Port Maitland, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. His mother was born in Britannia Cove, Trinity, Bonavista Peninsula, Newfoundland. Harold had an older sister Ida Pearl Raymond (1917-2001) and a younger sister, Doris Irene Raymond (1921-2004). The family all lived on Jessie Street in Swamscott, Mass., US. Harold enlisted three days his eighteenth birthday on January 6, 1937, five years before the United States entered the Second World War. He appears on the muster rolls Battery A, First Battalion, Tenth Marines, First Marine Brigade, Fleet Marine Force at the Marine Barracks in Quantico, Virginia in September 1939. Serving with the 1st Battalion of the 10th Marine Regiment pre-war, Harold was subsequently assigned to the 5th Battalion of the 11th Marine Regiment with United Stated entering the Second World War. Harold married Hazel Alberta Young (1910-1971) on October 28, 1941, in Jasper, Darlington, South Carolina. Hazel was born in Grovetown, Columbia County, Georgia. The 5th Battalion of the 11th Marine Regiment was activated on May 1, 1942, at New River, North Carolina. In June of that year, they deployed to Wellington, New Zealand. The 5th fought at what became known as Edson’s Bloody Ridge in Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands September 12-14, 1942. Corporal Harold David Raymond was killed in action at Guadalcanal on October 14, 1942. He was initially buried in the South Pacific but his family opted to repatriate his remains and Corporal Raymond was re-interred at the Swampscott Cemetery in Essex County, Massachusetts.

Harold David Raymond

Sources: findagrave FIRST OFFENSIVE: The Marine Campaign for Guadalcanal (by Henry I. Shaw, Jr.)

Miami News - Nov 22, 1942

Corporal Harold Raymond is also remembered on the Swampscott War Memorial that listed locals who served in WWII.