Submitted by Julie (Sanville) Mossa

Raymond Walter Sanville was born on June 23, 1922, in Irasburg, Vermont, and was the son of Walter Sanville and Yvonne Lebeau.  In addition to Raymond, Walter and Yvonne had another child, Edmund.  On November 22, 1941, Raymond married Rosalie Olive Riches in Newport, Vermont.  Rosalie was born on September 10, 1925, in Newport and was the daughter of Chauncey Pearle Riches and Flora Mae Sanborn. 

In 1942, Raymond worked as a machinist at the Butterfield Division of Union Twist Drill Company in Derby Line, Vermont, and also worked on his grandfather Alex Sanville’s farm prior to entering the service.  Rosalie and Raymond had two children, Douglas Wayne and Gary Lee. 

According to A History of Irasburg, Vermont, Page 114 stated, “Pvt. Raymond Sanville entered the service in November of 1943 and took part in the invasion of France the following June; he was killed in action August 7, 1944.”  A newspaper article also stated that Raymond joined the infantry on November 16, 1943, and received his military training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, and Fort George Mead in Maryland.  And following his last furlough home in early May, embarked for England prior to D-Day and was in France in early June 1944.  He had been overseas about two months before he was killed in St. James, France.  His body arrived in Newport, Vermont, on April 15, 1949, where a funeral was held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.  His bearers were Joseph Eldracher, Leo McCarthy, Robert Orr and Robert MacKenzie.  His Color Bearers were Frederick Blouin, William Mossa, Jr., Gordon Wheeler and N.E. Mayo.  Raymond was then buried in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Newport, Vermont.

Dorothy Hart, Raymond’s cousin, wrote that Raymond was buried in the United Military Cemetery, at St. James, France, and then his body was returned to the United States.  

 The picture of the soldier at the railroad station with his wife (a car is on the left side)

was Raymond Walter Sanville and Rosalie (Riches) Sanville on Raymond's last leave.