Raymond Andrew Thornton was born on September 19, 1921, in Amarillo, Potter County, Texas. He was the son of Clay Henry Thornton and Lefa B. Thornton. He served in the 601st Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot of B-17 #42-107096 during World War II.

On July 8, 1944, during a mission targeting V-1 "Noball" launch sites near Humieres, France, the aircraft sustained severe damage from German anti-aircraft fire (flak) before reaching its target. Despite the damage, the crew managed to drop their bombs. However, the aircraft was critically damaged and was forced to ditch into the English Channel off the coast of France. Of the nine crew members aboard, only two survived.

2Lt Thornton was reported Missing in Action and officially declared dead on July 8, 1944. His name is memorialized in the Tablets of the Missing in the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial, Neuville-en-Condroz, Arrondissement de Liège, Liège, Belgium. Raymond A. Thornton's name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 2 (center), on Butterfly 19, in the top right wing (section B) and in Panel 2 (center), on Butterfly 13, in the top left wing (section A).

Source of information: B-17flyingfortress.de, www.findagrave.com, www.398th.org