John C. Raymer, Jr.

[Graduated from Davenport high school in 1940. His connection to Reardan is through his father and family.]

November 6, 1941 Davenport Times-Tribune

Fifty-four men at Washington State college have been chosen for a temporary ROTC rifle team. Included in this group are John Raymer, Jr., and Virgil Zier of Davenport, Herman Rock of Wilbur, and Donald Moos of Edwall. The final rifle squad will be chosen after a month of practice and coaching.

April 30, 1942 Davenport Times-Tribune

John Raymer, a student at Washington State college, spent the weekend with his grandmother, Mrs. Hattie Raymer.

August 13, 1942 Davenport Times-Tribune

The county draft board here has been notified that John Raymer, Jr. of Ogden, Utah, formerly of Davenport, has enlisted in the army air corps reserve. He will continue with his studies at Washington State college, and will report for active service in the air corps on his graduation. John, son of Major and Mrs. John C. Raymer, Sr. of Ogden, was born and reared in Davenport and graduated from high school here in 1940. He attended the state college last year.

November 12, 1942 Davenport Times-Tribune

John Raymer, a student at Washington State college, spent the weekend with is grandmother, Mrs. Hattie Raymer, aunt, Miss Elizabeth Raymer and uncle, Nelson Raymer. He is the son of Major John Raymer, Sr. of Ogden, Utah, former residents of Reardan and Davenport.

February 18, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

John Raymer, Jr., visited friends here Friday before leaving for Utah to report for air corps service. He is the son of Colonel and Mrs. John C. Raymer of Ogden, Utah. John Raymer, Jr. is a graduate of Davenport high school and has been attending WSC.

February 18, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

John Raymer, Jr., who was a student at WSC, spent a few days with his grandmother, Mrs. Hattie Raymer, his aunt, Miss Elisabeth Raymer, and at the home of his uncle, Nelson Raymer. From here he left for Ogden, Utah, to visit his parents Colonel and Mr. John Raymer, before entering the service.

March 18, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

...John Raymer, Jr. who was a member of the air corps reserve at WSC, have been sent to Lincoln, Neb. for their preliminary training.

June 3, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

John Raymer, Jr., a Davenport high school graduate, recently completed his preliminary flying instruction at Lincoln, Neb., and is now attending the army flying school at Santa Ana, Calif. He is the son of Major and Mrs. John Raymer.

August 18, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

John Jr. was picked with a group of engineering students from Washington State college to attend the army school at the University of Nebraska last March and started his flying career there. From Nebraska he was sent to the Santa Ana pre-flight school in California where he learned airplane ground work.

After his solo flight, John Jr. is really as much part of the air force as Colonel Raymer and his father is proud of his achievement.

October 7, 1943 Davenport Times-Tribune

Air Cadet John C. Raymer, Jr., son of Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. John C. Raymer of Ogden, Utah, was graduated from primary pre-flight training at King City, Calif., September 25 and was honored to by being presented a $25 War Bond and a silver bracelet for being chosen the best pilot in his flight.

At the graduation banquet and dance eight $25 war bonds and silver identification bracelets were awarded. One to the best cadet, voted by the fellow cadets, one to the best in a military standpoint, one to the best in physical training, one to the best in ground school, and one to the best pilot in each of the four flights. When they reached flight three, they called for the instructor, who came to the front with a short speech presented John with his award.

Upon graduation from the King City training school, he was transferred October 1 to Taft Calif., at Garner Field, for basic training. He was asked if he would like to be an instructor, he refused in order to train further.

Prior to the outbreak of war, the Raymer family resided in Davenport for many years. They moved to Ogden when Col. Raymer was called to the army and stationed at the supply depot there, where they have been ever since. John Jr. has been in army training since last March.

February 24, 1944 Davenport Times-Tribune

Pin Gold Bars on Their Son

Pinning the cold bars of a second lieutenant on their son, Lieutenant John C. Raymer Jr., upon his graduation as a flying officer at army air force pilot school, Fort Sumter, N. Mex., are Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. John C. Raymer Sr. of Davenport. At present Lt. Col. Raymer is stationed at Hill Field, Ogden, Utah.

Lt. Col. and Mrs. John C. Raymer Sr. pin gold bars on their son John C. Raymer Jr.

On completing his pilot training Feb 10, Lt. Raymer spent a twelve day furlough with his parents and friends. He is now stationed at Roswell, N. M., where he is training to pilot B-17 bombers.

Lt. Raymer was chosen with a group of engineer students at Washington state college in March of 1943 to attend army school at the University of Nebraska, and started his flying career there. He graduated from pre-flight school at Santa Ana, Calif., and made his solo flight at King City, Calif., last August.

He was reared in this community [Davenport] and graduated from the Davenport schools. Lt. Col. Raymer, a veteran of the first World War, operated a garage here for many years previous to his re-entrance into the armed force before the outbreak of war.

May 11, 1944 Davenport Times-Tribune

Lieutenant John Raymer Jr. has completed B-17 transition training at Roswell, N. M. He graduated as a flying army officer at an army air force pilot school, Fort Sumter, N. M., in February.

September 21, 1944 Davenport Times-Tribune

Second Lieutenant John C. Raymer Jr., pilot of Davenport will soon complete an intensive course in combat flying at the Alexandria army air field, Alexandria, La., and is the near future he will go overseas to a combat area.

He is a member of a Flying Fortress crew trained by the second army air force, which has the task of readying four-engine bomber crews for overseas duty.

Listed among the instructors at the Alexandria army air field are many officers and enlisted men who have seen action in every theater of war. These veterans direct crews through training conditions that simulate actual combat, stressing team work, formation flying and high altitude missions.

Lt. Raymer is the son of Lt. Col. and Mrs. John C. Raymer, Sr. of Davenport, now stationed with an army corps supply unit in California. He was graduated from Davenport high school in 1940. He later attended the state college at Washington where he was pledged to Acacia fraternity.

October 5, 1944 Davenport Times-Tribune

John C. Raymer, Jr.

A member of the youngest flying fortress crew to complete combat training in heavy bombers, at Alexandria (La.) army air field is Second Lieutenant John C. Raymer Jr. Front row, left) of Davenport.

He is 22 years of age and the oldest member of the crew. These men have arrived in England and are in combat service now, relatives have learned.

October 19, 1944 Davenport Times-Tribune

Lieutenant John C. Raymer Jr., son of Lt. Col and Mrs. John C. Raymer of Oakland, Calif., recently completed an orientation course designed to bridge the gap between training in the States and combat soldiering against the enemy in France, according to the United States strategic air forces public relations department in Europe.

At the air service command station, Lt. Raymer attended a series of lectures given by veterans of the command which included instruction on chemical warfare defense and pertinent tips on staying healthy in a combat zone.

His next station will be one from which American fighting planes cover our liberation of occupied Europe. He was reared in Davenport where his parents resided until the outbreak of war.

December 21, 1944 Davenport Times-Tribune

Relatives here have learned that Lt. John Raymer Jr., as bomber pilot station in England, has been awarded the air medal with two oak leaf clusters for missions over enemy Europe. A graduate of the local high school [Davenport], he is the son of Lt. Col. and Mrs. John C. Raymer, who resided here until Col. Raymer entered service at the outbreak of the war.

February 1, 1945 Davenport Times-Tribune

Trailed 'chute to Halt Bomber as Brakes Null

Raymer Piloted Flak Battered Plane Home

Trailing an opened parachute as a substitute for his useless breaks, First Lieutenant John C. Raymer, Eighth air force pilot from Davenport, recently brought is flack-battered B-17 Flying Fortress safely down to its base. While making a bomb run over a Ocamar oil refinery near Hamburg, a burst of anti-aircraft fire riddled Lt. Raymer's plane, destroying the hydraulic system. This rendered the Fort's brakes and wing flaps worthless, and made landing extremely hazardous. The Fort had to be brought to rest on the landing strip. If it went off the end of the runway, a severely damaged plane was the least of the many things that could happen.

When the Fort arrived over the base, and made its landing approach, a parachute, under Lt. Raymer's direction was dropped through the tail gunner's escape hatch and then tied securely. The wind, billowing into the 'chute acted as a break, and stopped the big bomber on the runway with many yard of smooth concrete to spare.

Lt. Raymer is the son of Lt. Col. and Mrs. John C. Raymer, Sr. of Oakland, Calif. He attended the State College of Washington prior to his entrance into the armed forces in March 1943. Lt. Col. Raymer is attached to the Pacific overseas air service command in Oakland.

Lt. Raymer is a member of the 487th bombardment group, commanded by Colonel William K. Martin of Ogden, Utah.

February 15, 1945 Davenport Times-Tribune

First Lieutenant John Raymer Jr., Davenport high school graduate, who has been flying bombers out of England over enemy Europe, has completed the required number of missions and is expected in New York soon for an extended leave. He is married to a young woman in Pennsylvania and hopes he will be able to come west to visit his parents. Lt. Col. and Mrs. John C. Raymer, Sr. in Oakland, Calif., and possibly visit this area. He was born and reared in Davenport graduating from the high school here in 1940 and attended Washington state college. He has been awarded the army air medal and oak leaf clusters for the missions over Europe.

[He came back from England on the Queen Mary March 11, 1945.]

May 17, 1945 Davenport Times-Tribune

First Lieutenant John C. Raymer Jr. is now a test pilot, maintenance division at the air transport service command in Middletown, Penn. He is a veteran of 35 missions over European enemy occupied territory and returned to the states in March. He is the son of Lt. Col. John C. Raymer, Sr., who recently retired from the army air corps service. Lt. Raymer is a graduate of the local high school [Davenport].

[John remained in the service and was discharged September 1, 1969, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He died in 2002 and is buried at Davenport.]