Laurel outlook., 1948-10-13
1t. THAYER'S
REMAINS ARRIVE
FOR |NTERMENT
Laurel Young Man, Killed In
Pacific Action, Was Award
ed ID. S. c. For HerOism

The remains of First Lieut..
, Raymond l.. Thayer, Laurel
young man who was killed in
action Dec. ID, 1914, at the battle
of Cogan, Leyte, arrived at the
%Settergren funeral home in Bill
lings Wednesday morning, with the
funeral set for 2 p. m. Thursday at
the Masonic temple, Laurel. He
was the son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Forest F. Thayer of IL Idaho
avenue.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars
will have charge of the final
ceremonies, and burial will be in
the soldiers plot at the Laurel
cemetery.
Duets, "Going Home" and mo
Night There" will be sung by
Mrs. George c.. Paisley and Mrs.
M. T. Hoppel, with Mrs. j. H.
Albertus as accompanist.
Active %pallbearers for the fun
eral Thursday are Billy Allen,
James Kucera, Donald Scheideck-
er, Arthur Arnold, Jackson Park
err and John Walton.
Honorary pallbearers are Ted
Bundy, Emil Ebersviller, John
Tubman, Merritt Williams, Ken
meth Walton, David Everett, Ralph
Bailey and Donald Libecap.
Lieutenant Thayer was postum
mously awarded the distinguished
service cross at direction of the
president, which was presented
here to his parents by Mai.
Frank B. Herald, at that time
stationed at Bozeman in the de-
partment of military sciences and
tactics.
Lieutenant Thayer was born
Feb. p, 1919, at Britton, S. D.,
and came to Laurel with his par
ents in February 1922. He grad
uated from Laurel high school
with the class of 1897 and was
working at the Laurel yard of
flee of the Northern Pacific when
ne was called to service Sept.
20, 1941. He went overseas in
May 1943 and served at Guam
and Leyte before the engagement
1t Cogan in which he heroically
ost his life. The award of the
distinguished service cross was
'rdered by the president Dec. 20,
.945.
Surviving are his parents; two
'rothers, Laurence Thayer of
laurel and James Thayer of Liv-
ngston, and four sisters, Mrs.
Dave Ellingson of Livingston,
lrs. Irwin Butt of Everett, Wash,
lrs. Emmett Simpson of Laurel,
nd Joan Thayer at home.
He was a member of the Lau-
Odd Fellows lodge.
The citation accompanying the
distinguished service cross fol-
For extraordinary heroism in
ction at Cogan, Leyte, Philippine
on Dec. ID, 1914. Dur
lg a regimental attack against a
ell fortified blockhouse sur
ounded by a network of connect
trenches, mutually supporting
illboxes and spiderholes, the as
ault vas halted and the enemy
Ould not be driven out by either
or concentrated artillery
re. Realizing the necessity of
Eliminating this stronghold. Lieu
,nant Thayer, a tank destroyer
atoon commander, antitank COM
any, 315th infantry, advanced in
S self-propelled gun toward the
lemy position, followed by a .
roup of riflemen. Boldly sand
g waist high in the turret, he
rected the fire of his three-inch
IN and fired tracers from a
machine gun, pointing
It the concealed targets to rifle
en- who then ~neutralized those
When this method
lied to dislodge some of the
.panese, he drove his vehicle
er the resisting emplacements
d dropped grenades until he
d personally killed over 100
envy soldiers. He remained in
ton until the engagement was
most completed when he was
tally wounded by sniper fire.
rough his outstanding courage,
arless disregard of his own
and brilliant display of
ttlefield leadership. Lieutenant
aver so inspired his comrads
at they completely overran the
envy strong point and accomp-
he'd their mission"