Reuben Wood Ray
1922 - 1944
Air Medal
Purple Heart Medal
Reuben Wood Ray was born on July 16, 1922 at Lavaca, Sebastian Co., Ar. to
Reuben Milburn & Eva Frances "Scrap" Wood Ray.
February 16, 1942 Reuben registered for the military draft at Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., Ar.
He enlisted in Little Rock Arkansas on 4 Sep 1942 in the US Army Air Force
Corps. He states on his enlistment record that he had 4 years of high school and his
civil occupation was semiskilled in building of aircraft, n.e.c.
Reuben, a Sergeant, was attached to 492nd Bomber Group, Heavy, 858th
Bomber Squadron. as a Right Waist Gunner.
On May 19, 1944 Sgt Ray was on the crew of the B-24J Liberator #44-40151
"GI Joe" during a mission to bomb the marshalling yards at Brunswick, Germany. He
was the Nose Gunner.
They were caught by the German Luftwaffe without fighter escort protection.
Despite being hit, the pilot announced to his crew that they were going to
bomb the target come hell or high water. However, the spreading fire forced
them to abandon the airplane. Only 3 gunners made it out before the fire reached
the bomb bay and they exploded into a huge fireball.
Sgt Ray was killed in action on May 19, 1944. Incident location was
Linsburg, Landkreis Nienburg, Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany.
Sgt. Reuben Wood Ray is memorialized at Plot D Row 16 Grave 11, Ardennes American
Cemetery, Neupre, Belgium. Plot D Row 16 Grave 11. This is an American Battle
Monuments Commission location.
Shared by Vicki Graves Jones
from Fighting Men of Sebastian Co., Ar.
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