Raymond J. Bowman

Raymond Jerold "Robert" Bowman (April 2, 1924 – April 18, 1945) was an American infantryman who fought in World War II.[3]

Raymond Jerold Bowman
Nickname(s)Robert
Born(1924-04-02)April 2, 1924
Rochester, New York, United States
DiedApril 18, 1945(1945-04-18) (aged 21) †
Leipzig, Germany
Buried
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, New York, United States[1]
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1943–1945
Rank Private First Class
Service number32846512[2]
UnitCompany D, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division
Battles/wars
  • World War II
Awards
  • Bronze Star Medal
  • Combat Infantryman Badge
  • Purple Heart (2)
  • Army Good Conduct Medal
  • European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (4 campaigns)
  • World War II Victory Medal
  • Sharpshooter Badge with carbine qualification clasp
  • Marksman Badge with machine gun qualification clasp

Early life, military service, and death

Raymond Jerold Bowman was born in Rochester, New York on April 2, 1924,[4] the fifth of seven children to George and Florence Rebecca (née Ward) Bowman.[1] After graduating high school, Bowman was drafted into the United States Army on June 21, 1943; Bowman was unmarried, and had no children.[2] He was assigned to Company D of the 23rd Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division on July 5, 1943, where he later qualified as a machine gunner.[3] In January 1944, he was sent overseas to the United Kingdom in preparation for Operation Overlord. Bowman served in France, where he was wounded in action on August 3, 1944, and later in Belgium and Germany. He reached the rank of Private first class during his service.

On April 18, 1945 in Leipzig, Germany, while Bowman and other troops were fighting to secure a bridge from a position inside an apartment building, Bowman was shot and killed by a German sniper while reloading his M1917 Browning machine gun.[5] Nearby photographer Robert Capa captured images of the fight, Bowman's death, and the immediate aftermath,[6] which gained fame in Life magazine with the caption "The picture of the last man to die."[3] The Life magazine article did not identify the soldiers in the photographs by name, although Bowman's family recognized him by the small pin (which bore his initials) that he always wore on his collar.

Honors and awards

Bowman received many honors for his service, including the Bronze Star Medal, an Army Good Conduct Medal, and two Purple Hearts.[3]

Veteran Lehman Riggs 2016 in Leipzig with the street sign

In July 2015, the city of Leipzig, Germany voted to name the street in front of the apartment building where Bowman was killed "Bowmanstraße" after him (previously a part of Jahnallee). The renaming took place on April 17, 2016. The apartment building now contains a small memorial with Capa's photographs and information about Bowman.[5]

References
  1. "PFC Raymond J. Bowman". Find A Grave. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  2. "Display Full Records - Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File (Enlistment Records)". NARA - AAD. 1938–1946. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  3. "Bowman, Raymond J." ww2awards.com. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  4. "Raymond Jerold Bowman in the U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947". Ancestry.com. Retrieved April 30, 2020. (registration required)
  5. Lahman, Sean (July 20, 2015). "Fallen soldier featured in 'Life' magazine honored in Germany". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  6. Capa, Richard (May 14, 1945). "An Episode: Americans Still Died". Life. p. 40B-40C. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
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