Raymond Lee Butler

Marine Corps Regular | Service Number 904792

Born

June 7, 1925
in Fletcher, OK

Parents

Edgar Lee Butler
Melba (Newport) Butler

School

Details unknown

Pre-War Employment

Details unknown

Entered Service

November 20, 1943
at El Paso, TX

Joined First Battalion

February 21, 1944
from Fourth Signal Company

Left First Battalion

February 20, 1945
Killed in action at Iwo Jima

Left Service

February 20, 1945
Killed in action

Home Address and Next of Kin

Route 1, Munday, TX – home of parents, Edgar & Melba L. Butler

Service & Campaigns

Before joining battalion

Boot camp at MCRD San Diego with Fifth Recruit Battalion. Outposted directly to Fourth Signal Company for transit to Hawaii. Assigned to Baker Company, First Battalion, 24th Marines at Camp Maui on 21 February 1944.

Saipan

Outfit: B/1/24th Marines
Rank: PFC
MOS: 746 (BARman)
Important Events:
June 17, 1944 – wounded in action (shrapnel, left thigh); evacuated to hospital ship USS Bountiful for treatment.

Campaign Narrative

Tinian (not present)

Under treatment at US Naval Hospital #10, Aiea Heights, Hawaii. Did not participate in Tinian campaign.

Rejoined battalion on 17 October 1944.

Iwo Jima

Outfit: HQ/1/24th Marines (Demolitions Platoon)
Rank: PFC
MOS: 746 (BARman) – Butler was assigned to a flamethrower squad under Sergeant Harlan C. Jeffery: his exact role is not known.
Important Events:
February 20, 1945 – killed in action (sniper bullet, neck) when a patrol encountered Japanese snipers in a narrow draw.

Campaign Narrative

Individual Decorations

Medal
Purple Heart
– with Gold Star

Campaign
Saipan (June 17, 1944)
Iwo Jima (Feb. 20, 1945)

Citation

Service Stories

Please share a story if you knew this Marine.

We was advancing along a draw near the beach when a Jap sniper opened up on us. Everyone scattered, but my squad got pinned down as it was the leading squad. One of my boys got hit so I stuck my head up and cryed [sic] for a corpsman, I no sooner raised my head and I felt something knock me backwards, I knew I was hit in the head, I got so excited I started hollering – get a corpsman, get a corpsman, in about to [sic] minutes there was a corpsman patching up my head, he said I would be alright for the bullet only cut the skin, I told the corpsman to look at my buddy behind me but he said it was to late he was dead.

Well as soon as I got my senses back I knew I had to get myself and men out of that position for it was to damn hot to stay there, I passed the word back to the next man that we was going to move out, he hollered back that he couldn’t move he was hit. So I jumped up and ran forward to get a corpsman but by the time he got to him he was dead. After all that hell and pain. I finally led my squad forward behind a ridge out of range of the Jap sniper. We had to pass through an enemy minefield. That was many an hour we prayed to God.

Harlan C. Jeffery Demolitions Platoon, 1/24th Marines – diary entry describing the deaths of Raymond Butler and Russell Chambers

Raymond is buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii

Gallery

Interestingly, it appears that Raymond may have tried to get into the Army while underage. In the top registration, the date of birth is exactly one year older than his real one (making him 18, not 17), and while he was in California at the time, his birthplace in Oklahoma matches his other records. A Raymond L. Butler matching this description did enlist in the Army from Los Angeles on 9 November 1942. On the second card, note the annotation "Discharged 7-16-1943" – and the corrected date of birth, as Raymond is now actually 18. There's no doubt this card is his, given the handwritten induction date.

Dom Tutalo, Raymond Butler, and Tim Hartigan, 1944.

Ray Butler, a wounded veteran of Saipan, was killed in action February 20, 1945 on Iwo Jima.

Russell Chambers gets a ride from Tim Hartigan, the better to tease Art Stanek and Ray Butler. Stanek and Hartigan were wounded on Iwo Jima; Chambers and Butler were killed.

The Abilene Reporter-News, 10 August 1944.

The Abilene Reporter-News, 29 March 1945.

7 thoughts on “Raymond L. Butler”

Raymond Lee Butler January 12, 2015 at 5:48 pm

Reply

Semper Fi, uncle Raymond
Mike Hawkins January 12, 2015 at 6:54 pm

Reply

Rest In Peace, Raymond L. Butler
Your service will not be forgotten.
Leslie Teaff October 16, 2017 at 8:20 pm

Reply

Rest in peace Uncle. You are a hero to the nephews you never knew.
Mark Hodnett February 23, 2020 at 6:37 pm

Reply

Rest in peace. Your courage and sacrifice will be forever remembered.
Michael Butler March 9, 2020 at 6:01 am

Reply

Rest in peace Uncle Raymond.You served your country well. God bless you.
joseph Feeney July 31, 2021 at 4:35 pm

Reply

Marine PFC Raymond L. Butler, you are considered by many a hero, for you gave your life against the Japanese enemy, so that others may live. You will ALWAYS be Forever Young. May you R. I. P.
Bryan T Smith February 20, 2024 at 8:10 pm

Reply

Uncle Raymond, I never knew you personally but I still know you because family wouldn’t let your memory go. As you know from looking down on us you have many nieces and nephews who followed your footsteps to serve our country. Rest in Peace Uncle, we’ll cover your watch.