Russell M. Raines Bracelet (USMA '08)
Russell M. Raines Bracelet (USMA '08)
Russell Matthew Raines, 33, of Palatine, Illinois passed away unexpectedly on September 10, 2019. He was born in Shreveport, LA on November 25, 1985. He was a proud graduate of C.E. Byrd High School and received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from the United States Military Academy.
At C.E. Byrd, he was Key Club President and was selected for the all-district and academic all-state football teams. He finished at West Point as a distinguished cadet achieving a 3.9 GPA and a final class rank of 32. He was also selected to the All-Collegiate Sprint Football League Team in 2007.
Upon graduation, he achieved a rank of Captain in the United States Army, and received the Bronze Star Medal for his excellent service as a platoon leader for the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment during his year of service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He finished six years of service to our nation as a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, where he received the Army Commendation Medal for his role in completing storm damage risk reduction systems during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Upon being honorably discharged from the Army he settled in Chicago, Illinois to be with his daughter, and had a career as a building systems and controls engineer.
For each Russell Raines bracelet purchased, $10 will be donated to the the C.E. Byrd Alumni Association or the West Point Association of Graduates, at the direction of his family.
He was determined in everything he did and lived life with a level of integrity to be envied. If it was worth doing, Russell would do it right. Though his life was short, his accomplishments were long and the pride and joy he brought to others will be everlasting. He liked to read, was a movie fanatic, and he loved sports whether it was college football or women’s gymnastics, especially teams associated with Byrd, Army or LSU, and the New Orleans Saints. He followed those teams passionately throughout his life. He loved his friends and family, especially the little ones. He loved playing cars or catch with his nieces and nephews. He loved watching games and genuinely celebrating life with all of us. But what he loved the most was his little girl, Annie. There was a smile of unending joy when he was with her or talked about her. Annie was the light of his life.