Richard Enners Honors Memory of His Fallen Brother

Raymond and Richard Enners grew up in Farmingdale on Long Island in New York. They were just a few years apart. Both were student-athletes in high school and both attended West Point.

After his honorable discharge from the army, Richard, who now lives in Bedford with his wife, Judy, went on to a business career with companies in Japan, Canada and the U.S. Raymond was killed in Vietnam. Heart of Gray is Richard’s tribute to his big brother.

“It was a long time coming,” said Enners about the book. “It was time to honor my brother, Ray, not only for his acts of valor in battle but it was my way of thanking him for his encouragement and inspiration that made me a better athlete, husband, father and leader.

“We were born of the same parents, bred the same values, attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, played Division I intercollegiate lacrosse and served in the army,” added Enners. “When my brother departed for South Vietnam, my mom and dad quietly supported him. We all did. It was his choice. Like so many soldiers, it’s what Ray wanted to do—to serve our nation.”

The elder Enners played lacrosse at Half Hollow Hills High School in Suffolk County on Long Island. He continued to excel at the game at West Point. During his senior year, Enners was named an NCAA All-American. Slightly more than a year later, he became a casualty of the war in Vietnam. On September 18, 1968, demonstrating selflessness and leadership, Lieutenant Enners rescued a wounded soldier and then led an assault on an enemy position that cost him his life.

A Team Player

If the security of America and its friends was Raymond’s first love in life, then lacrosse was not far behind, according to his brother. The way Raymond Enners played the game he loved was with the same selflessness that he lived his life and served his country.

Richard Enners remembers a game toward the end of the 1962 high school season. A defenseman had cleared the ball to Ray, who was standing near the front of the opponent’s goal.

“Ray had a clear shot, an easy score,” according to his brother. “Instead, he signaled to a teammate to sprint toward the goal where Ray passed him the ball for the score. Ray’s teammate scored his 50th goal, a personal milestone and record for the season. The team was all-important to Ray. That’s the way he was.”

Heart of Gray takes the reader on a journey that reveals how West Point and its values of “Duty, Honor, Country” influenced Raymond Enners. In the book, brother Richard explains the rigorous training that provided Raymond with the confidence and courage to face life-threatening situations.

The word “gray” that appears in the title of the book is a West Point symbol of pride and honor that dates back to the early 1800s when the color gray was approved for cadet uniforms. Raymond Enners embraced this tradition during his time at the academy and during his brief service to the country. Beyond honoring his brother, the author wrote the book to inspire other people to live their lives with a purpose similar to that of Raymond Enners and to make a difference in the lives of others.

Published by Acclaim Press, the book also can be purchased on Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com.

Raymond Enners Lives On

Long Island has not forgotten Raymond Enners the lacrosse star or the American hero. Soon after his death, the Lt. Ray Enners Award was created and it has been awarded faithfully each year to the outstanding Suffolk County, New York, high school lacrosse player. The award exemplifies courage, teamwork, skill and leadership.

James C. Metzger, who attended the same high school as the Enners boys, received the award after the 1977 season. He has experienced a bond with Raymond Enners all these years. Metzger, who now owns The Whitmore Group, a leading Long Island insurance brokerage and financial services firm, recently reconnected with the player and soldier he never met through Cornell University lacrosse player Rob Pannell. Metzger’s nephew is a two-time recipient (2011 and 2013) of the Lt. Raymond Enners Award that is presented annually to the NCAA’s most outstanding player in men’s college lacrosse.

At Metzger’s invitation, Richard Enners recently returned to Long Island to meet with coaches and administrators in the high school lacrosse community. Former local players, including Pannell, also were invited to discuss Raymond Enners’ life with the author. Richard Enners hopes that his brother's story will inspire people to live their lives with a purpose that positively affects the lives of others.

To help ensure that Raymond Enners’ contributions to lacrosse, community and country will continue to inspire and influence future generations, Metzger is delivering copies of Heart of Gray to all the public high school lacrosse coaches on Long Island’s Suffolk and Nassau counties. Copies of the book also will be provided to school administrators. The book also will be sent to the coaches and administrators in the Catholic High School Lacrosse League. Metzger is confident that the coaches and administrators will continue to share the Lt. Raymond Enners story with their young players.