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Raymond vet reflects on serving By Leanne Ouimet People around the state celebrated Veterans' Day on Wednesday, and U.S. military veteran Howard Stiles, of Raymond, was no different. Before heading to a special celebration in Portland, Stiles took a stroll down the brick walkway of the Raymond Veterans Memorial Park, on Route 302, and passed over the granite bricks, carved with the names of Raymond veterans, to honor their service to this country. ''Every one of these has a story behind it,'' he said. Including his own. Stiles, 74, began his military career in 1952 when he enlisted in the air force reserve for two years until he was put on active duty. In July of 1955, he entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating from the academy four years later, just a few weeks shy of his 24th birthday. He served two tours in Vietnam and retired in 1983, having served a total of 31 years in the military. ''I enjoyed serving my country. I enjoyed the people I met (and) working with young soldiers. I enjoyed being able to ''see the world' and understand different people and different cultures,'' he said. Stiles shares his granite brick with the name of his father, Clayton Stiles, who was in the air force reserve and was sent to active duty in World War II and in the Korean War. His father was also one of the first airline pilots for United Airlines. He said that with a military background in his family, and his hopes to one day attend West Point, he knew he wanted to enlist in the military. His son, daughter, and nephew are also honored on the walkway for their service in the military. The memorial park, which is located across from Webb Mills Road, used to be a rest stop, Stiles said, but the State of Maine gave the land back to the town. In 2005, Stiles was asked by Raymond's Board of Selectmen to head a Veterans Memorial Committee to construct a memorial park at the site and after two years, the dedication ceremony was finally held. ''We looked at other sites in town but we thought this one would be the best,'' he said. ''Visibility from the road and it's close to the lake which is nice. It gets a lot of use during the summer. There are people here almost every day for picnics.'' This past spring, a new sign was erected at the entrance of the memorial park and there were more granite bricks added to the walkway. Stiles said that he celebrates the holiday in different ways each year, but always takes the time to reflect on his own military service, as well as the service of all the men and women who continue to serve ''this great country of ours.''
If you are interested in honoring a veteran, contact Howard Stiles at 655-4193 and/or the Town Office.
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