Raymond Patrick Carpenter was born on May 12, 1944. After high school, Raymond joined the United States Air Force. He completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX in 1965 and later Air Police School. He was transferred to England Air Force Base Strategic Air Command in Bossier, LA for Air Police training. He was sent back to Lackland AFB in San Antonio for Sentry Dog Training. In July of 1966, Raymond, along with five other handlers and their dogs, were sent to South Vietnam to assist in the war. He was promoted to Airman Second. Their job was to patrol the outer fences of the base at night. Thunder was his favorite of the three dogs he trained. Thunder saved Raymond’s life twice and it was a story that he would recall vividly. In May 1967, he returned stateside and was stationed at Fairchild AFB in Spokane, WA where he was promoted to Sergeant. He received an honorable discharge from the USAF reserve in January 1971. Raymond is also a lifetime member of the Vietnam Dog Handler Association. He began working as a Reserve Police Officer with the Winnfield City Police Department in 1991. He was moved to part-time in October of 1993. He enjoyed being a competition shooter (revolver) for the police department and was a proficient shooter from 1995-1997. He attended night classes at North Delta Regional Training Academy in Monroe, LA, graduating in May 1998. Raymond moved to a full time position in November 1998. He worked full-time at both, The Enterprise and The City Police Department for 15 years. He retired with the Winnfield City Police Department on March 31, 2022 with 29 years of service. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Betty Joe Beck Carpenter; sons, James Ronald Carpenter, Duane Patrick Carpenter and daughter, Betty Joe Carpenter Morvan.
Menu
