Navy Chief Petty Officer Raymond J. Border, 31, of West Lafayette, Ohio
CPO Border was assigned to Navy Mobile Construction Battalion 74 in Gulfport, Miss.; died Oct. 19, 2011 while assessing a route in Paktika province, Afghanistan.
CPO Border died inspecting a highway in Paktika province for a convoy to pass. He had stepped out of his vehicle when the mine went off. Killed with him was Jorge M. Oliveira, 33, of Newark, N.J.
CPO Border graduated from Ridgewood High school in 1999 where he was on the football and track teams and was a two-time state qualifier in wrestling.
He enlisted in the Navy in September 1999. He deployed to Afghanistan for the second time in August. He had also previously been deployed to Iraq.
Father, Craig, said his son took two flags with him from Annin Flagmakers in Coshocton, where his mother worked part time, and had proudly raised those flags above the military base in Yahya Khel District on Sept. 11, 2011.
"He loved serving his country, and we were proud of him," Craig said. "Every time he left we'd say be careful, and he'd say 'I will, Dad.'"
Friend, Ralph Young remembers Raymond stopped by his house the day he signed up to join the Navy.
"He told me 'I'm just going to tell Dad to take that money he's been saving for me to go to school and give it to Mom so she can buy a new car because she deserves it,'" Young said
Tom Lahna, Raymond's wrestling coach, in high school, said, "My son, Hollis, was a freshman when Raymond was a senior, and he instilled his work ethic in the younger kids. He recognized the team was like a family and a family needs leaders, and he was one of those."
Ridgewood Middle School teacher Terry Guilliams was his head football coach. "You knew he was going to be a good person when he grew up," Guilliams said. "He was always smiling, positive, just one of those people you wanted to be around. His work ethic was always full-out go, and he was a force on the football field."
Family remembers described Ray as loving and goofy. His fiancee, Terrence, describes him affectionately as a "redneck," saying he was never without a pair of blue jeans, work boots and a camouflage hat when home.
"He would always tell us how much he loved us, and he never treated us like we weren't his own kids. He loved us like his own kids, and he treated us like it," said step-daughter, Caitlin Boyd.
Terrence said she and Raymond had been together for seven years and had decided to get married. While video chatting, Raymond had told her to pick out a dress and a ring. He had planned to officially propose when he returned in November.
CPO Border's awards and decorations include:
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Navy and Marince Corps Achievement Medal (3)
Joint Meritorious Unit Award
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Expertice with a rifle/pistol
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
CPO Border was laid to rest on November 3 in Plainfield Cemetery.
He is survived by his parents, Julie and Craig; children, Donovan and Shelva; siblings, Holden Border of West Lafayette and Shanna Weaver of Jacksonville, FL and fiancee, Terrence Boyd of Gulfport, MS and stepchildren, Amber, Caitlin and Aaron.
Navy Chief Petty Officer Raymond J. Border was killed in action on 10/19/11.
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