Raymond A. Nusser
Ray's family owned Spring Brook Tavern back when he joined the Navy in 1935. Ray's dad refused to sign the papers for him to join the Navy, so he had to talk his mom into doing it.
Ray was a strong swimmer and liked to dive off of the bridges in Oshkosh. He played right end for the Pacific Fleet football team and was the 3rd best right end they ever had. He had dreams of playing in the NFL one day.
Ray wrote home regularly and remembered his mom on Mothers Day 1941 with the following telegram:
Though we are separated by many miles,
dear mother, my heart is with you today, as
always, Ray.
Ray was on his third re-enlistment reaching the rank of Gunners Mate 3rd Class.
All of Ray's dreams and aspirations ended on December 7th, 1941, when the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Ray Nusser was killed along with 1,177 shipmates when a bomb pierced the forward magazine on the U.S.S. Arizona.
Raymond Nusser was the first serviceman from Winnebago County killed during World War II, and quite possibly the first from the State of Wisconsin.
His family didn't receive the notification of his death until February 3rd, 1942. Imagine what it was like for his family to wait for nearly 2 months to find out if their son was alive or dead.
