Lawrence Gail Raitz

Lawrence was the last child born of Esther Alma and Charles Henry Raitz, on 29 October 1938, at cottage hospital in Yakima, Washington. In his early years, Gail, as he was called by his family, was raised by his mother after a divorce in the late 1940’s. His mother moved after from place to place in search of work and a better life. They lived in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and California in many places, often returning to Yakima to live with Gail's grandmother, Winnie Dafbey.

In 1952 they arrived in San Rafael, California where Esther secured work at the hospital as a nurse’s aide and Gail attended schools in San Anselmo and San Rafael. Here he became active in the Civil Air Patrol Cadet program, the California cadet corps in school and volunteered his time in the Ground Observer Corps. Gail rose to the ranks of Sergeant in the California Cadet Corps and attended a 2-week training encampment at Fort Ord. He attained the rank of Cadet First Lieutenant in Civil Air Patrol and attended 3 2-week encampments at Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento; earning flights in an Air Force T-33 jet trainer aircraft. He also joined the U.S Marine Corps reserve, 14th Rifle Company, at Kentfield, California on 60MM mortars. He also attended Marine training at Camp Pendleton in Southern California.

In 1956 on his 18th birthday Gail entered active duty in the U.S Air Force. He attended training at the AFB in San Antonio and jet aircraft maintenance school at Amarillo, Texas. Upon completion of his technical training at Amarillo he reported to Craig Air Force Base at Selma, Alabama maintaining T-33 and T-37 jet trainers used to train new pilots. That is when he began using the name “Larry.”

In 1960 on September 17th Larry married Charlie L. Bayer and became stepfather to her two girls, Linda and Regina. In 1961, Charlie gave birth to a son named Kenneth Dean Raitz.

In 1965 the Raitz family moved to Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa and Larry was assigned to the F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber as a crew chief. On Kadena, Larry was promoted to Technical Sergeant in Quality Control.  In 1969 Larry was sent to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand, still on the F-105, supporting bombing missions in North Vietnam.

In 1970 Larry returned to the U.S and was assigned to Holloman AFB, Alamogordo, New Mexico. He was transitioning to the F-4D Phantom serving as Quality Control Inspector, Chief of aircraft debriefing and Chief of Phased Inspection Section and weight and balance technician, promoted to Master Sergeant. In 1974 Larry attended F-111 transition training at Nellis AFB, Nevada before assigned again to Takhli RTAB, Thailand.  In 1975 Larry returned to the U.S with the 474 TFW assigned to Nellis AFB on the F-111 in Quality Control as Chief of Deficiency and Management Analysis section.

Over the years Larry had earned a private pilot’s license, a commercial pilots license, a civil air patrol pilot rating with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer, and nearly completed a college degree.

On April 1, 1977, Larry retired from the Air Force and began civilian career which took him to Saudi Arabia on the F-5 fighter with the Northop Aircraft Corp; to the Tonopah Test Range for seven years on the Top-Secret F-117 stealth fighter project as Senior Property Specialist and thirteen years in the casino payroll at the Mint downtown and Treasure Island on the strip. Larry retired from Treasure Island on December 29, 2005, to care for his wife Charlie who was in ill health after 45 years of marriage.

Sadly we said goodbye to Larry on June 6, 2024 and now he will rest with his Charlie after years apart.

GO FUND ME