Raymond R. Guthrie joined the U.S. Army Air Force in Illinois around the time of World War II. He served as a staff sergeant in the 860th Bomber Squadron, 493rd Bomber Group during World War II.

On August 18, 1944, SSG Guthrie and his crew were shot down during an air raid of a German airfield in Roye-Amy. The crew's B-24 bomber, nicknamed "Bolicat," crashed in a field in Boussicourt. All but one crew member died in the crash, including SSG Guthrie. Guthrie received the Purple Heart and Air Medal posthumously for making the ultimate sacrifice.