Ray Spencer remembered

Ray Spencer Sr remembers the day his son came home and told him he wanted to join the Army. Senior asked junior if he truly knew what he was getting into.

After calling every chance he got from Iraq, senior is certain his son was doing exactly what he dreamed of.

"He was proud to be a soldier. He was a true patriot, and he was a true American," Spencer said.

Ray Spencer Jr was killed last week when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb near Baghdad.

His father, understandably, is spending the days now, reflecting on the good times. "He touched everybody where he went. He was working at the Antique Trove ... this little elderly [lady] walked by and he made this paper rose out of a napkin," Spencer remembered. "I heard this, and he gave this to this lady, and she goes, 'Young man, would you date my granddaughter?' And I looked up and said, 'Oh God. That's my son.'"

Spencer says a classic example of his son's good heart was when he would receive letters from school children here in the U.S. while he was in the middle of the Iraqi desert. "He would spend his hours, minutes and call the school, and have them pass the cell phone around and talk to them. And when I hear things like that ... I know that's my boy because he was such a compassionate young man."

The tough part Spencer says will be missing his son. At 23 years old there was so much more he was looking forward to share.

"He would say, 'Dad, don't worry ... I'm a Spencer. A Spencer has never been lost in all of the years of our history.' And I said, 'You're right son, I'll see you soon.' And we hugged you know. And every day I look at that gate, and I know that he won't be coming back, but you know what? I'm proud."

From KXTV 10

Related Link:
Raymond N. Spencer Jr. dies 'of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by insurgents using an IED and small arms fire'