Buffalo native Raymond Dopakowski who was a musician and whose parents immigrated from Austria and Poland, enlisted in the Army on 27 June 1942.

Assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 103rd Regiment, 43rd Infantry "Winged Victory" Division.

The "Winged Victory" Division participated in four campaigns, Guadalcanal, Northern Solomons, New Guinea, and Luzon in the P.I. The 43rd Infantry Division (ID) established its place among the great fighting divisions of the U.S.

Landing in New Zealand, late in 1942 as reserves against a possible Japanese invasion, the 43rd ID moved on to New Caledonia and later (January 1943) into Guadalcanal. Combat actions which followed were assaults on New Georgia at Rendova Island (the 43rd killed 4,000 Japs in 81 days of fighting); Munda Airfield; Aitape, New Guinea; the battle of the Drinimuor river, where Japanese forces from Wewak were stopped; landing at Lingayen (Luzon).

During World War II, PFC Dopakowski served in New Zealand, New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, Russell Islands, New Georgia, New Guinea, and the Philippine Islands.

On 25 January 1945, PFC Dopakowski was killed during the Battle of Luzon in the Philippine Islands.