J. Fred Rayzor, Jr. - Denton, TX - World War II Memorials / Monuments on Waymarking.com

Lt. Rayzor was the grandson of James Newton Rayzor, who was a prominent Denton businessman and civic leader, and this cenotaph stands in the Rayzor family plot in section T. It is a rectangular-shaped slab of granite with this inscription:

In Memory of
J. Fred Rayzor, Jr.
1st Lt. U.S. Army Air Corps
October 8, 1915 April 16, 1944

At Rest
Plot D, Row 12, Grave 173
Manila American Cemetery
Manila, Republic of the Philippines

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The Pacific Wrecks website (see below) has some good reading about both the bomber, a B-24J-120-CO Liberator, and its crew and mission. On April 16, 1944, Lt. Rayzor was the pilot on a bombing mission against Hollandia, and this was one of six B-24s in the group. About twenty minutes into the flight, the plane experienced engine trouble. They followed protocol by jettisoning their bombs and assuming brace position as they attempted to reach Gusap Airfield. They didn't make it, crashing between one and two miles from the runway. Seven of the ten crew members were killed, including Lt. Rayzor. The dead were initially buried in New Guinea, and later relocated: Lt. Rayzor and one of his associates are buried in the Manila American Cemetery, while the others were returned to the United States. The remaining crew have since passed on, all buried on American soil.

Property Permission: Public Access instructions: Cemetery is open to public, but please visit during daylight hours Access times: From: 9:00 AM To: 6:00 PM Website for Waymark: [Web Link] Location of waymark: 711 S Carroll Blvd Denton, TX USA 76201 Commemoration: 1st Lt. J. Fred Rayzor, Jr. Date of Dedication: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/25/2020 QuarrellaDeVil visited it