Freedom Remembered

Born: November 4, 1989 in San Bernardino County, California
Died: August 31, 2010 in Logar, Afghanistan

Sgt. Raymond C. Alcaraz of Redlands, California attended Redlands High School. He grew up loving the game of baseball and played for seven years with dreams of going for the pros. He also had dreams of serving in the military and as a firefighter someday. Ray joined the United States Army in the summer of 2007. After completing Basic Training, Advanced Individual Training, and Airborne School, he was assigned to Charlie Company 173rd BSB. He joined the unit during Operation Enduring Freedom VIII and was attached to Able Company 1-503rd P.I.R. serving as a Platoon Medic. SGT Alcaraz again deployed to Afghanistan with Charlie Company 173rd BSB in November 2009 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom X. While deployed to Logar Province, Afghanistan, he was attached to 1st Platoon (Assassins) of Alpha Company 173rd Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne) as a Platoon Medic where he completed over 49 missions as a Health Care Sergeant in support of Operation Enduring Freedom X. His Awards and Decorations include, the Army Achievement Medal, (with Oak Leaf Cluster) the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Army Good Conduct Medal, (first award) the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, (three) the NATO Medal, a Certificate of Achievement, the Combat Medic Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Basic Marksmanship Qualification Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. He leaves his brother, Lucas, his mother and stepfather, Alma and Paul Murphy, and his father, Raymond Sr. He died at age 20 in Logar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Army
173rd Brigade Support Battalion
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
Bamberg, Germany

Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands, California

The Sgt Raymond C. Alcaraz by Freedom Remembered, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.