Raymond Henry Myers – Colonel, United States Army

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Dear Michael: Thank you for including my father, Colonel Raymond Henry Myers, in the biographies for Arlington National Cemetery. It was a very moving experience to read my Dad’s papers from 1911 through 1949 and put it to print. In my research, I also found out that he is considered a “Black Lion” as the 28th Infantry Regimentwas later named “The Lions of Cantigny” (even though he was not in France) and  “Wolfhound” (27th Infantry Regiment).

Most kindly,
Mary Myers Kleiss
Born: Walter Reed Hospital, 1941

Biography of Raymond Henry Myers
Buried at Arlington National Cemetery

Born in Xenia, Ohio in 1892 or 1893,  Raymond Henry Myers lied about his age and enlisted in the Army in 1911 in Columbus, Ohio. He was assigned to the 28th Infantry Division, Company M and served from April 24, 1911 to April 23, 1914.

In 1913, the 28th Infantry was ordered to Texas to assist in guarding the Mexican border against raids by Pancho Villa. In April 1914, the regiment was part of the expedition which occupied the captured city of Vera Cruz. (Colonel Myers had always stated that when he enlisted in 1911, he was part of the Cavalry).

After re-enlisting in 1914, he was assigned to the 27th Infantry Division, Company B, where he was sent to Manilla, in the Philippine Islands. But in 1916, he was diverted to a significant emergency assignment with the Punitive Expedition of 1916 led by Brigadier General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing, aimed at getting Pancho Villa. (Lieutenant George Patton was there at the same time.)

When the expedition was completed, the 27th Infantry Division was sent to Europe right in the midst of World World I, but because Private Myers’s enlistment  was due to end within six months, he was not included. He later learned that all of his friends from the Punitive Expedition had been killed.

In October of 1917, Myers was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps and sent to Russia as a guard on the Trans-Siberian Railway for the purpose of protecting allied shipments carried by the railway. He was in the Quartermaster Corps until December 10, 1918.

April 15, 1919, he was assigned to Alcatraz, California as a disciplinary barracks guard. He was promoted to Corporal in June of 1919. In 1923, at Alcatraz, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant. From 1923 to 1926, he was a bookkeeper for the Finance department, Not exactly sure where.

He re-enlisted in 1926 and was stationed at Fort Hayes, Ohio until 1929. At Fort Niagara, New York, he re-enlisted on Febraary 17, 1929 and was a Tech Sergeant in the finance department.

In the early ’30s, Tech Sergeant Myers was again stationed in the Phillippines. The United States had gained possession of the islands following the Spanish-American War and the Phillippine-American War. William Howard Taft had been the Phillippines first civilian Governor. (Colonel Myers is buried near President Taft.)

He re-enlisted in 1932 at Fort William McKinley, Rizal, Philippine Islands.

Re-enlisted in 1935 at Fort Lewis, Washington. In March of 1937 passed the examination as Warrant Officer. Re-enlisted in 1938 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

In 1941 after re-enlisting, was stationed at Fort Holabird, Maryland. On May 13, 1942, Warrant Officer Myers was appointed Major and commissioned in the Army of the United States. May 15, 1942, he was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
August 29, 1942, Lieutenant Colonel Myers was in Camp Claiborne, Louisiana;  then Camp Chaffee, Arkansas.
April 24, 1944, final exam at Duke University on “Foreign Exchange.”

July 24, 1944, Lieutenant Colonel Myers was stationed at Miami Beach, Florida with the Army Ground and Service Forces Redistribution Station.

September 1945: Fort Benjamin Harrison, to Fort Douglas, Utah, to Seattle, Washington. March 1946-back to Warrant Officer. December, 1946-back to Lieutenant Colonel Colonel.

1947-1948-Geneva, New York. 1948, promoted to “full bird” Colonel, where he was sent to Chicago as Chief of the Audit Division for the Office of the Fiscal Director.

April 1949-Seattle, Washington. April 1949-San Francisco, California Presidio.

In 1949 he retired out of Fairbanks, Alaska.

June 15, 1949: letter from General Omar Bradley, thanking Colonel Myers for his thirty eight years of service.

MYERS, RAYMOND H

  • LTC AUS
  • DATE OF BIRTH: 07/07/1894
  • DATE OF DEATH: 09/07/1968
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 30  SITE 262 L.H.
  • ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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