Raymond H. McMillan PFC US Army Killed In Action in Luzon on 15 Mar 1945

Raymond John McMillan was born on 11 Aug 1923 in Burlington, VT, the son of Edward Thomas McMillan and Josephine Belhumeur. His father was a baker. Raymond was baptized at St Joseph church on the 15th as John Raymond McMillan. In the 1930 census we find the family at 194 North Union Street in Burlington and Raymond age 6 is the 4th of 4 children and the father is the proprietor of a Bake Shop. In the 1940 census the family is at 188 North Union Street, Raymond is age 17 and the father is employed in the Woolen Mill. His mother Josephine was born in 1889 and died in 1943. Raymond graduated from Nazareth Catholic School in 1938, which was owned by St Joseph church; and also graduated from Burlington High School in 1942.

On his Draft Card on 30 Jun 1942 he is Raymond Harold McMillan age 18 living at 69 Walnut Street, and is 5 ft 11 inches and 153 lbs with black hair and brown eyes and a light brown complexion. His mother was employed at the American Woolen Company. Raymond enlisted in Rutland, VT on 16 Feb 1943 as a Private, serial no. 31253907. He had 4 yrs of High School. Occupational skills were warehousing, storekeeping, handling, loading and unloading.

Burlington Free Press 16 Apr 1945: Raymond McMillan Killed In Action by a sniper on Luzon, Philippines.

Burlington Free Press 3 May 1949: PFC’s McMillan’s Body Will Arrive in City Tomorrow.

Burlington Free Press 6 May 1949: Funeral at St Joseph church and Burial at Lakeview Cemetery.

Headstone Application. On 4 May 1949 filled in by his father Edward living at 69 Walnut Street. Enlisted 16 Feb 1943 as Raymond H. McMillan. He was a PFC in the 161 Infantry, Co. A US Army and he died on 15 Mar 1945. The stone is for Lakeview cemetery in Burlington, VT.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47308114

The 161st Infantry: During World War II, the regiment was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division. It fought at Guadalcanal, New Georgia, and the Philippines. The regiment's soldiers performed bravely in tough battles on these South Pacific Islands, and many received awards for valor.

LUZON, Philippines: On 13 March, I Corps ordered the Tropic Lightning to continue its successful advance up Highway 5 to seize the town of Capintalan, then attack through Balete Pass to the town of Santa Fe. The area was a series of rugged ridges and thick forests, making progress against a determined, well fortified enemy extremely difficult. The Battle of Belete Pass was to prove to be one of the toughest fights the 25th Division faced in WW II, with all three regimental combat teams seeing heavy combat.

The 1st Battalion of the 161st assaulted Norton's Knob, west of Highway 5 on 15 March 1945. The battalion met heavy opposition from well dug-in Japanese forces. For ten days the battle raged, with the 1st Battalion finally seizing the ridge on 26 March. SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/161st_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)#Guadalcanal

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

Raymond H McMillan