★ Raymond Allo Cole World War II Gold Star Veteran

In Honor of PFC Raymond Allo Cole
November 1, 1922 – June 6, 1944

Raymond Allo Cole was born on November 1, 1922, in Andover, Merrimack County, New Hampshire. He later resided in Grafton County, where he worked in a machine shop before the outbreak of World War II. Described as single and without dependents, Raymond answered the call to serve his country and enlisted in the United States Army on December 15, 1942, in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Raymond served with distinction as a Private First Class in Company F, 2nd Ranger Battalion—one of the elite units trained for the most demanding combat missions. On June 6, 1944, during the historic D-Day invasion of Normandy, PFC Cole participated in the assault on Pointe du Hoc, a vital and heavily fortified German position between Omaha and Utah beaches.

It was on that day, at the age of 21, that Raymond made the ultimate sacrifice. He was Killed in Action during the fierce battle to secure the cliffs and neutralize enemy artillery threatening the Allied landings. For his bravery and sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

Today, PFC Raymond Allo Cole rests in honor at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, in Plot H, Row 24, Grave 35—a solemn reminder of the cost of freedom and the courage of one young man from small-town New Hampshire who gave his life on one of the most pivotal days in world history.

Let us remember him not only as a soldier but as a son of New Hampshire, whose story is part of the greater legacy of D-Day and the fight for liberty.