Raymond Russell: was in the Philippines when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He was a Machine Gunner. Russell was a survivor of the Bataan Death March upon the fall of the Philippines
and was forced into slave labor
as a POW of the Japanese for 41 months.

A Cousin’s Memories
Submitted by Don Reed

There is a story that Raymond was beaten by a certain guard everyday of his confinement but remained unbroken. 
The story goes that upon release Raymond tied him to the back of a jeep and dragged him until there was nothing left but a boot. Raymond was a tall gangly, 6' plus, easily likeable and completely full of bull and foolishness.  I know your website has a section on poetry and the thing I remember most about Raymond when he returned was his recitation, literally hours at a time of poems, almost book length. 
I would guess those were the product of years in that environment with an attempt to transfer the cruelty to the abstract.

There have been meetings with several men who served with Raymond and they have said Raymond literally saved their life and took care of them during the imprisonment often taking beatings on their behalf.
Raymond Dell Russell was born November 20^th, 1912 in Wolfe City, Texas to parents C.H. and Linnie Russell.
Raymond enlisted January 28th, 1941 and may have re-enlisted in the reserves upon separation in 1945/46. He was honorably discharged on the 26th of March 1948, I believe, at Ft Sam Houston, Texas, as a Corporal. Raymond married Alethia Fleming and had a son, Jimmy Dell and a daughter (? name).
Raymond died Oct. 10th, 1972 at age 60. He was buried in Colonial Gardens, Marshall, Texas.

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