Everyone in Michael “Joe” Raymond’s family and circle of friends expected him at attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. After all, he was a member of West Point’s Legacy Families, in which seven generations of his family attended the Academy. But one day a postcard from the Coast Guard arrived in the mail and Raymond decided on a different career path. He attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, and graduated with honors in 1991. He spent his career in the Coast Guard, eventually rising to the rank of rear admiral. “He liked boating and the nautical life,” his wife Kristi said. “He loved going to sea.”
Two events shaped Raymond’s career and life: Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, and protests against the Shell Oil Company in Puget Sound, Washington, in 2015.
When Katrina struck, Raymond was commanding the Coast Guard Cutter Shamal, stationed in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Although his ship was out of port and sustained no damage, more than half of his crew lost their homes to flooding. The crisis brought the entire crew together, as they helped remove ruined furniture and personal items from each other’s homes. Raymond and his wife, Kristi, washed children’s toys and dishes that they found scattered across front yards, and Kristi spearheaded several toy drives. “That was a very challenging tour for us,” Kristi recalled, “but later in life, whenever he talked about his ships, he mostly talked about the Shamal because he and the crew got very close.”
While commanding the Shamal helped shape Raymond personally, serving as the sector commander and captain of the port for Sector Puget Sound proved his leadership. He worked to ensure the safety of protesters in kayaks who blocked a Shell Oil drilling rig from leaving port. The standoff lasted about three months, yet no one was injured. “He was very proud of keeping everyone safe when it could have very quickly gone awry,” Kristi said.
Along with tours on cutters and at ports, Raymond enjoyed four tours in the U.S. Congress as part of his Coast Guard duties. He worked for Sen. John McCain on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, starting off as a fellow and eventually helping contribute to the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. “Passing that legislation was monumental for him,” Kristi said.
Through his leadership and experience, Raymond became the assistant commandant for military personnel at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he was responsible for all aspects of military personnel management, including recruitment, assignments, workforce policies, pay and benefits.
After a two-year battle with brain cancer, Raymond passed away at the age of 56 on July 19, 2025. On Nov. 3, Raymond’s family and friends, many in Coast Guard uniforms, gathered in Section 4 of Arlington National Cemetery, near the Coast Guard Memorial, to say goodbye. As a testament to Raymond’s leadership, more than 200 people attended—including two crewmen from the Shamal, both of whom told Kristi how much they respected Raymond and valued his friendship. The full military honors with escort funeral service included a caisson procession, a Navy band, a Coast Guard firing party, and minute guns firing a 13-round salute, in accordance with Raymond’s rank.
The service also included a unique flag presentation. Instead of presenting just one flag to Kristi, the Coast Guard arranged to present flags to Raymond’s mother Grace, and his three children. Acting Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Kevin Lunday, who had known Raymond for 20 years, addressed Kristi personally as he presented her with the first flag: “On behalf of the president of the United States, United States Coast Guard and the grateful nation, please accept this flag as a tribute to Joe's years of honorable and faithful service.”
The son of a U.S. Air Force officer, Raymond moved frequently during his childhood. He met Kristi through a cousin with whom she roomed in college, and the two started dating in 1998. He proposed to her while stationed in Key West, Florida, and they married in 2000.
During Raymond’s cancer treatment, he and Kristi decided that Arlington National Cemetery would be his final resting place. Kristi and the couple’s children, who live only 15 minutes away, could easily visit his grave. She added, “He would be incredibly happy to know he’s actually 200 feet from the Coast Guard Memorial and has a view of the Air Force Memorial, his father’s service.”
