Raymond David Ford

Raymond For enlisted in the Marine Corps from his hometown of Los Angeles, and after boot camp was posted to the Second Marine Brigade in San Diego. He spent his first eighteen months of service with the 6th and 8th Marines, and in the summer of 1941 was transferred to Cavite Navy Yard in the Philippines. There, Ford joined Company A, First Separate Marine Battalion, which provided base security for the many military installations in the area. This post, highly coveted in peacetime, was made somewhat less appealing by the growing threat of war with Japan. In late 1941, Ford’s company was posted at Sangley Point manning beach defenses and anti-aircraft weapons. Their vigilance kicked into high gear when news of Pearl Harbor reached the Philippines – and on 10 December they watched in horror as Japanese bombers all but leveled Cavite Navy Yard.

The Japanese kept up their pressure, and on 19 December targeted the high-powered radio station at Cañacao, known as “Radio Sangley.” Bombs started falling at 1247 and touched off a fuel dump. According to one Marine, “the roar of the fire drowned the sound of the [airplane] motors and the sound of the bombs.” Marines raced among the exploding barrels, trying to save as much precious gasoline as possible. Five Marines – including Private Ford, Assistant Cook Walter J. Theise, and Corporal Melvin O. Tuley –were killed by bombs or fire.