https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/california-based/matthew-a-snyder/ The latest user comments on Matthew A. Snyder en-us https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c180823 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c180823 Not sure why, but Ray was on my mind today, he passed away on my birthday,June 21st. I played youth hockey with and against Ray in the Sacramento area, we were friends as kids, and lost contact as we got older, only seeing one another occasionally at the rink. Ray was honestly the most amazing person I've ever known. Always always always smiling! Being around him would guarantee your side would hurt from laughing so much. He was good in net too. I always knew it was going to be a losing game playing against him. I often find myself thinking that if the world had more Raymond Spencers in it, it would be an amazing place. You are missed greatly bud. Fri, 26 Jun 2015 11:57:07 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c123477 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c123477 May Raymond's family find peace and comfort in the hope of the resurrection. (John 5:28). jw.org Thu, 27 Jun 2013 07:05:11 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c122420 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c122420 Ray was my bestfriend. I met him when i was little, his mother was my yard duty in elementry school, i talked to him all the time over Myspace, he used to tell me stories about being over sea and help me threw my hard times. I miss him everyday. I love you Ray Rest Easy. I love you. Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:06:29 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c62411 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c62411 Ray was in my Bradley fighting vehicle when we were hit. We were all stuned. The electronics went down and we could not lower the ramp. The troop door was also locked. My Gunner Tim Guichard slid through a small opening to get to Ray and Rojas. Tim carried both of them to the medivac Bradley. The Platoon Sgt SFC Leon and his crew raced the injured back to base. In the mean time 9 of us were left in place in a hell of a fire fight. I remeber during the fight praying for Ray" God please send him home" I got the feeling I was answerd and I fought on. (When we were hit I lost a part of a finger on my shooting hand). When I was evaced Andrew Fix was driving the hummer with Anthony Dread who was shot in the leg during the fire fight and Chris Hill Gunning. Our escort left us we were nearly hit by another IED. Later we made it back to base and Dread and I were sent to the green zone. After my surgery I started looking for Ray. I could not find Him. Then I ran into my nurse and the look in her face told me the bad news. I was mad. Mad at God. He said he was sending Ray home. I later realized God ment He sent Ray to the Big House. Ray had a smile that brought calm even in a combat zone. Ray will never be forgotten. I miss you my brother in arms. I still pray for the Spencer family. I will trek to Long Island befor my end to see Ray one more time. Leon Hood Seward AK Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:21:54 -0800 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c60451 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c60451 I served with ray in iraq, and he was like a big brother to me, always looking out for me, I remember this one time we both got stuck on guard duty for about an hour past our shift, and he would always talk about what he plans to do when he gets home, which was go to his cabin, which he even invited me to go with him when we got back. I had many fun times with him, He will always be my brother in arms. R.I.P ray Sun, 16 Oct 2011 11:50:47 -0700 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c53506 https://projects.latimes.com/wardead/name/raymond-n-spencer-jr/#c53506 This is really great that you have this here. Too bad it took me this long to find it. I can't believe it has been almost four years. Ray and I where roomates at prep school in Canada. We had a lot of good times and memories playing hockey up in Banff, Alberta. Ray and I often talked about the military and how cool it would be to join. As the years passed, little did we know that we both had enlisted in the Army. Ray enlisted as an Infantryman, I enlisted as a Medic. After finishing my training I was sent to South Korea. I found Ray on MySpace and he said he was at Fort Bliss getting ready for deployment. We exchanged messages as often as we could since he was busy mobolizing. It was heartbreaking news when I got a message from somone in his family that he had been killed. After my time in Korea I too was sent to Fort Bliss. I made frequent visits to the memorial on post where he and others who had died from 4-1 have their pictures hung and left flowers in his memory in 08 and 09. God bless you Ray. We all miss you. Thu, 16 Jun 2011 05:27:05 -0700