Private Raymond Eugene Jordan was born on June 12, 1922, the son of Dalton Dewey Jordan (1898-1975) and Nettie Beatrice Worrell (1899-1984). He was the second of eight children born to the Jordan's and his father supported the family as a farmer, laborer and later a self-employed junk dealer. By 1940, Raymond was old enough to get a job of his own, so he went to work for James D. Godwin (business unspecified). The following year, America was at war!
Raymond enlisted in the US Army on December 12, 1942 and was sent to Camp Blanding for processing and orientation. After basic training, he was assigned to the 612th Tank Destroyer Battalion. The battalion had only been activated for six months and was even now being staffed, equipped, and trained at Camp Bowie, TX. These tank destroyer battalions were of two types. The 612th Battalion was the type that used a towed anti-tank gun that could be quickly unlimbered and fired with deadly accuracy. The other type was a self-propelled tracked tank without a top. Both types were created in response to the German's attacking with large number of tanks as a massed spearhead. In the meantime, further training ensued until the battalion set sail for England on the "Lle de France" on April 7, 1944. When called, the battalion left England on an LST, arriving in France on the 16th of June, ten days after the initial D-Day landing. From that point on it was a constant battle with the German forces.
But on December 16th at 5:30 AM, elements of the battalion's Company "A" were suddenly attacked by a strong enemy force that had broken through the American lines near Hofen, Germany. The battalion's defense became one of the decisive actions of the entire Battle of the Bulge. The Germans were repulsed with great loss after repeated counter attacks by Company A. However, the next day the battalion's Company "B" was transferred to the 99th Infantry Division and moved to the vicinity of Honsfeld and took up defensive positions. They did not have long to wait before an overwhelming enemy force, coming through the Ardennes, plowed into them with tanks and armored infantry. The attack was so powerful that the platoons were quickly surrounded, with 4 officers and 128 men being reported as missing in action. It is believed that this is where the young Pensacolian was killed on December 17, 1944. His body was eventually recovered and turned over to the grave registration unit. After processing, he was buried in a military cemetery. Sometime later, his parents received a telegram from the War Department, which was usually followed by a personal letter from the soldiers commanding officer. In all, there were 89,500 American casualties during the five-week battle plus the loss of 1,000 planes and 733 tanks and tank destroyers. The Germans on the other hand lost as high as 98,000 casualties and a similar number of planes and tanks. The cost of freedom comes at a fearful price!
At home, the Jordan family placed a "Gold Star" in their window that told the world that a member of their household had perished for their country. Today, Raymond rests in peace in the Henri-Chapelle Cemetery in Belgium.
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