Raymond Fernandez – Col. (Ret.) Raymond Fernandez died in Boynton Beach, Fla., on Dec. 12, 2000, at the age of 81. Born in Honolulu, HI on Feb. 17, 1919, and raised in Lihu’e, Kaua’i, he was the eldest son of
Raymond Fernandez –
Col. (Ret.) Raymond Fernandez died in Boynton Beach, Fla., on Dec. 12, 2000, at the age of 81.
Born in Honolulu, HI on Feb. 17, 1919, and raised in Lihu’e, Kaua’i, he was the eldest son of Kauai’s first assistant chief of police, Antone Fernandez and Elizabeth A. Fernandez.
Raymond started his 31-year career as an enlisted man in the National Guard in 1940 and later activated into the U.S. Army. He was selected in 1943 to attend Officers Candidate School at Camp Baridey, Texas. During World War II he served with the 316th Station Hospital in Sandham, England and later to Glasgow, Scotland evacuating the wounded and sick back to the U.S.
After World War II he continued his military career with assignments at Deshon General Hospital in PA, Station Hospital at Camp Ritchie, MD; Tripler Army Hospital in Hawai’i and Camp Zama in Japan. While in Japan, he received the Bronze Star for meritorious service during the Korean crisis.
He was appointed special military aide to then Vice President Richard Nixon during the interment of the unknowns of World War II and Korea in May 1958. Col. Fernandez later returned to Europe and served in the Frankfurt Medical Service in Germany and as commander of the 57th Medical Battalion. His last duty station was as Chief Administrator of the Andrew Radar Army Clinic at Port Myer, VA having served there twice for a total of 10 years.
At his first retirement ceremony, Col. Fernandez was awarded the Legion of Merit for his “distinguished performance and outstanding achievement in the highest tradition of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the Service Corps and the United States Army.
Following his retirement. Col. Fernandez began a new career in the building and contracting business. He was on the staff of Techbuilt, Inc. specializing in prebuilt modular homes in the Northern Neck of Virginia and Maryland.
He and his wife, Florence moved to Florida in 1985 where he became involved in community, church and Masonic activities.
He is survived by one daughter, Radine (John) Hamilton of Donegal, Ireland; two grandchildren; brother Antone Fernandez of Maui, and sisters Edna Kim and Genevieve Naito of Honolulu.
Memorial services will be held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 10:30 a.m.
