Hero award son killed in Iraq blast
A mother learned of her former RUC son's death in Iraq only minutes after reading on Ceefax that he had been honoured for courage.
Raymond Moore, 40, a security contractor, died in an explosion on Friday.
June Moore, from Tandragee, revealed it was the second tragedy to hit the family – another son Lloyd, 35, died from an illness 10 years ago.
She said she was struggling to come to terms with the “devastation of losing another son”.
“You have no idea how it feels to lose two sons,” she said.
“It is devastating. I am not sure how I am going to get through this.
“It has taken me 10 years to come round to Lloyd’s death and I was just beginning to get back to myself – now this happens.
“You do not expect to lose one son let alone two. No one understands what it feels like until you go through it yourself.”
Raymond – who leaves a daughter Rebecca, 16, and a nine-year-old son Zak – had been honoured by the Royal Humane Society for helping rescue US soldiers wounded by a suicide bomber last week.
He was among a group of British security advisors at Mahmoudiya who dragged concrete slabs aside to pull injured men from underneath a bridge that was in danger of collapsing.
Mrs Moore said: “I just read about his honour on Friday on Ceefax and rang family members to tell them about it when the phone rang again.
“It was the security firm Raymond worked for calling to tell us he had been killed.”
She added: “He had worked in the RUC for 17 years and had retired from it – he enjoyed the RUC.
“He then went into security and agreed to work in Iraq in spite of the danger.
“I was so worried about him.”
Mrs Moore said he had only been back in Iraq for a week after having been at home for a one-month break.
“I prayed so hard for Raymond to be safe in Iraq,” said Mrs Moore, “but this has just shaken me.
“I had been watching the news about Iraq and listen- ing to see if the reports were coming from his area.
“I am not sure if Raymond was looking forward to going out to Iraq.
“It is dangerous, too dangerous.”
Mrs Moore said that due to regulations her son’s body will not be brought home until Friday.
The mother, who has another son and daughter, said “words could not describe” Raymond.
“He was a lovely, lovely man. He was very well liked and had so many friends – they are all just devastated.
“For his 40th birthday in March we gave him a surprise party in a pub in Tandragee. His friends were all there.
“Raymond loved socialising very much and was very outgoing.”
Mrs Moore and her husband Ray mark their 47th wedding anniversary next week and had planned a Mediterranean cruise.
“We will not be going anywhere now,” she said.
David Seaton of ArmorGroup International – which had employed Raymond – said a roadside bomb had been detonated close to his vehicle.
Describing the Ulsterman as “a very brave individual”, he said: “In an incident like this, when someone as respected as Ray dies his colleagues will be devastated.
“There will be a pause for contemplation and the majority will continue with the work.”
ArmorGroup has provided protective security services to Government and commercial clients involved in the reconstruction process in Iraq since 2003.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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