Raymond Lee Champion was born in Fulton Co., Kentucky on the 25th of February 1911; the son of Jordan Champion and Lula Daisy Brown. He married Doris Rose Attebery in St. Louis, Missouri on 26 March 1945 and they were the parents od two daughters: Robbie Sue (Champion) Martin and Janie Lee (Champion) Craddock. He died 20th of August 1989.

   He joined the U. S. Navy on the 6th of March 1942 at Nashville, Tennessee and was assigned to the armed merchant marine ship, the USS John Sevier. He attended Naval Training School at San Diego, Calif. from 25 March 1942 until 18 April 1942. On April 13th 1943, he was on the gun crew of the USS John Sevier, when the ship was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine. During the incident, Raymond was the only one hurt, resulting in his later losing use of his right leg. He also had shrapnel removed from his head. The crew was picked up several hours later by a US destroyer. He was awarded the Purple Heart, the American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal; all of which he did not recieve until August 20th, 1988. He was discharged from the service at St. Albans, Long Island, New York on the 29th of February 1944.