Raymond J. Bridge was born on November 3, 1918 in Latrobe, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Clarence Bridge and Dora Bridge. He resided in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania prior to the war. Raymond enlisted in the Army on April 23, 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the mechanical treatment of metals and also as Single, without dependents. Raymond served as a Staff Sergeant, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He was a passenger on B-24J #42-100184, It took off, with a crew of 7 and 3 passengers, from Yangkai, China on a ferrying mission to Chabua, India. The last heard from them was a radio transmission noting they were 30 minutes east of Chabua. They crashed, for an unknown reason near Cheppe, Arunachal Pradesh, India during the war. Raymond was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission. This aircraft, along with evidence of human remains, was located December 2010 by MIA Recoveries, Inc. Remains have not as yet (2018) been recovered and/or identified. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

Raymond was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov