Edward Bennett Ray was born December 1, 1924 in Livaca, Sebastian Co., Ar. to Ruben Milburn & Eva Frances Scrap Wood Ray, August 7, 1943 he married Doris Aileen Panter Bisher in California. The only draft registration card found for Edward was the "second draft" dated December 12, 1945 in Long Beach California. He states on it he is "unemployed & discharged from the Navy Dec. 4, 1945." His original enlistment in the Navy was on January 15, 1942, serving until December 4, 1945, although he is listed on a muster roll in 1946 still aboard the USS Chestnut as shown below. Did he re-enlist? He was assigned to the USS Chestnut which was an Aloe-class net laying ship which was assigned to serve the U.S. Navy during World War II with her protective anti-submarine nets. Attached to the 11th Naval District, Chestnut tended nets and gave other harbor services at San Diego, California, until 24 June 1942. On 25 May 1942 she was placed in full commission and Lieutenant A. Schlott, USNR, her officer-in-charge, became commanding officer. Steaming by way of Hawaii and Samoa, Chestnut arrived at Efate, New Hebrides, 26 February 1943. She tended nets there and at Noumea until 5 December 1943, except for an overhaul at Dunedin, New Zealand. Chestnut arrived in the Solomon Islands 13 December and until 29 August 1944 had cargo, salvage and net repair duty in those islands. She was redesignated AN-11, 20 January 1944. From 3 September to 10 October 1944 Chestnut dismantled and removed the net line in Havannah Harbor, Efate, and after repairs in Australia, returned to Noumea until 3 January 1945. Chestnut then moved to Ulithi for net and mooring operations. Except for brief duty at the seaplane base at Kossol Roads, Palau in April, she remained at Ulithi until 19 June when she departed for Guam, arriving two days later. Edward Bennett Ray passed away May 31, 1982 in Little Rock, Arkansas. His burial was at White Church Cemetery in Augusta, Woodruff Co., Ar. Shared by Vikie Graves Jones from Fighting Men or Arkansas No Date 1944 1945 1945