Sidney Raynor was the
son of Manly and Alma Raynor. He was born on July 8th,
1921 at Shelter Island, New York. The Raynors moved to East Middle
Island (Ridge) in 1935 where they lived on Raynor Road. Sidney went
to school at Port Jefferson High School and graduated with the class
of 1939.
Raynor
entered the Army at Camp Upton on October 13, 1942, and received his
basic training at Camp Campbell, Kentucky with Company C of the 17th
Infantry Battalion of the 12th Armored Division. The
division was transferred to Camp Barkley, Texas where they received
their final training. In August 1944 the division received orders to
go to Camp Shanks, New York where they left for Europe aboard the
Emperor of Australia After a stormy crossing the 12th
arrived in Liverpool, England, then to southern England where they
remained until November, then to Le Harve, France.
On
December 13th, 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge Sidney
developed frostbite and was hospitalized in France, and then to a
military hospital in England for more medical treatment. In 1945
while still bedridden he was shipped back to the United States
aboard the Queen Elizabeth. Arriving in new York, Sidney was
shipped to a convalescent hospital at Camp Carson, Colorado Spings.
On August
12th, 1945 he received his honorable discharge, and was
awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal with 2 Battle Stars, the
Combat Infantry Badge, The American Campaign Medal and the European
Campaign Medal.
Sidney
returned to his family home in Patchogue, where his family had moved
in 1944. He was employed at Camp Upton as a boiler fireman. He
remained there when Camp Upton became Brookhaven Lab in 1948, and
retied from the lab in 1983 from the planning and engineering
department.
Mr. Raynor passed
away in 2000and was buried with Military Honors at the Cedar Grove
Cemetery in Patchogue. Surviving him is his wife Thelma and a son
William Raynor.
Written by,
Mrs. Thelma Raynor
Oct. 25th, 2008