“Heart of Gray” Honors Local Lacrosse Player And Vietnam Hero

Richard Enners returned to Long Island a few weeks ago. He was raised in Farmingdale with his brother Raymond. Both boys were lacrosse players at Half Hollow Hills High School in Dix Hills. Both boys went to the U.S. Military Academy. Raymond died while leading his platoon in Vietnam.

Heart of Gray is Richard’s book that honors his older brother. A few weeks ago, Enners was invited to Long Island to meet with coaches and administrators of the local high school community and to share his brother’s contributions to lacrosse, the Long Island community and country. The author hopes Heart of Gray will 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.

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Photo: From left are James C. Metzger of The Whitmore Group, George Searing, varsity boys lacrosse coach at Northport High School and the current president of the Suffolk County Lacrosse Coaches’ Association, and Richard Enners, author of Heart of Gray.

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The Lt. Ray Enners Award was created by the Suffolk County Boys Lacrosse Coaches Association shortly after Raymond’s death. The award has been presented since 1970 to the outstanding county high school lacrosse player. The award exemplifies courage, teamwork, skill and leadership.

James C. Metzger, a Half Hollow Hills East High School graduate, received the 1977 Lt. Ray Enners Award. Metzger now owns The Whitmore Group, a leading insurance brokerage and financial services firm headquartered in Garden City. He arranged the meeting between Enners and the Long Island high school sports community.

Among the coaches in attendance was George Searing, varsity boys lacrosse coach at Northport High School and the current president of the Suffolk County Lacrosse Coaches’ Association. Rob Pannell, Metzger's nephew, also met with Enners. The former Smithtown High School student-athlete and Cornell University lacrosse All-American is a two-time recipient (2011 and 2013) of another award named in tribute to Raymond Enners. The Lt. Raymond Enners Award is presented annually to the NCAA’s most outstanding player in men’s college lacrosse.

Duty, Honor, Country

Heart of Gray reveals how West Point and its values of “Duty, Honor, Country” influenced Raymond Enners. The author explains the rigorous training that provided his brother 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.

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

To ensure that Raymond Enners’ selfless and leadership contributions continue to inspire and influence future generations, Metzger is delivering copies of Heart of Gray to all the public high school lacrosse coaches in 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.