THE WALL OF FACES

David Robert Ray

Medal of Honor
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS
DURING Vietnam War
Service: Navy
Battalion: 2d Battalion
Division: 3d Marine Division (Rein) FMF
GENERAL ORDERS:

CITATION:
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Hospital Corpsman Second Class David Robert Ray (NSN: B-308634), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Hospital Corpsman Second Class with Battery D, Second Battalion, Twenty-Second Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, at Phu Loc 6, near An Hoa, Republic of Vietnam, on 19 March 1969. During the early morning hours, an estimated battalion-sized enemy force launched a determined assault against the battery's position, and succeeded in effecting a penetration of the barbed-wire perimeter. The initial burst of enemy fire caused numerous casualties among the marines who had immediately manned their howitzers during the rocket and mortar attack. Undaunted by the intense hostile fire, Hospital Corpsman Second Class Ray moved from parapet to parapet, rendering emergency medical treatment to the wounded. Although seriously wounded himself while administering first aid to a marine casualty, he refused medical aid and continued his lifesaving efforts. While he was bandaging and attempting to comfort another wounded marine, Hospital Corpsman Second Class Ray was forced to battle two enemy soldiers who attacked his position, personally killing one and wounding the other. Rapidly losing his strength as a result of his severe wounds, he nonetheless managed to move through the hail of enemy fire to other casualties. Once again, he was faced with the intense fire of oncoming enemy troops and, despite the grave personal danger and insurmountable odds, succeeded in treating the wounded and holding off the enemy until he ran out of ammunition, at which time he sustained fatal wounds. Hospital Corpsman Second Class Ray's final act of heroism was to protect the patient he was treating. He threw himself upon the wounded marine, thus saving the man's life when an enemy grenade exploded nearby. By his determined and persevering actions, courageous spirit, and selfless devotion to the welfare of his marine comrades, Hospital Corpsman Second Class Ray served to inspire the men of Battery D to heroic efforts in defeating the enemy. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

SEMPER FI

On the night of March 18-19, 1969, Delta Battery 2/11 Marines was located at Fire Support Base Phu Lac 6, adjacent to the Liberty Bridge near An Hoa, RVN. A few hundred meters distant was the command post of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. In the early morning hours of March 19th, both areas were attacked, first by a barrage of mortar and rocket fire, then by a ground attack estimated to be in battalion size. Thirteen Marines and two Navy Corpsmen died in the two attacks, 12 from Delta 2/11 and 3 from the 1/5 command post. The NVA left 79 bodies strewn around the artillery compound alone. Medal of Honor winner HM2 David R. Ray placed himself upon a Marine after he saw an enemy-thrown grenade land near them. Ray died after the grenade blast, while the Marine he sacrificed his life for lived. Ray was formally assigned to the Headquarters Battery, but was Delta 2/11's senior corpsman during the battle. The fourteen other men lost were CPL Richard Gilliam, CPL Charles E. Wheeler, LCPL Charles E. Grooms, PFC John F. Allen, PFC Donald R. Bartley, PFC Dennis F. Ellis, PFC John M. Goodwin, PFC Robert R. Highfill, PFC George N. Myers, PFC Loring W. Watson, PFC Paul Wilson, GSGT Floyd M. Keefe, HN Lee T. Hamman, and PFC David B. Arnott. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, wikipedia.org, and virtualwall.org]

David Robert Ray
Date of birth: February 14, 1945
Date of death: March 19, 1969
Burial location: McMinnville, Tennessee
Place of Birth: Tennessee, McMinnville
Home of record: Nashville Tennessee
Status: KIA

AWARDS AND CITATIONS

Medal of Honor

Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Hospital Corpsman Second Class David Robert Ray (NSN: B-308634), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Hospital Corpsman Second Class with Battery D, Second Battalion, Twenty-Second Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, at Phu Loc 6, near An Hoa, Republic of Vietnam, on 19 March 1969. During the early morning hours, an estimated battalion-sized enemy force launched a determined assault against the battery's position, and succeeded in effecting a penetration of the barbed-wire perimeter. The initial burst of enemy fire caused numerous casualties among the marines who had immediately manned their howitzers during the rocket and mortar attack. Undaunted by the intense hostile fire, Hospital Corpsman Second Class Ray moved from parapet to parapet, rendering emergency medical treatment to the wounded. Although seriously wounded himself while administering first aid to a marine casualty, he refused medical aid and continued his lifesaving efforts. While he was bandaging and attempting to comfort another wounded marine, Hospital Corpsman Second Class Ray was forced to battle two enemy soldiers who attacked his position, personally killing one and wounding the other. Rapidly losing his strength as a result of his severe wounds, he nonetheless managed to move through the hail of enemy fire to other casualties. Once again, he was faced with the intense fire of oncoming enemy troops and, despite the grave personal danger and insurmountable odds, succeeded in treating the wounded and holding off the enemy until he ran out of ammunition, at which time he sustained fatal wounds. Hospital Corpsman Second Class Ray's final act of heroism was to protect the patient he was treating. He threw himself upon the wounded marine, thus saving the man's life when an enemy grenade exploded nearby. By his determined and persevering actions, courageous spirit, and selfless devotion to the welfare of his marine comrades, Hospital Corpsman Second Class Ray served to inspire the men of Battery D to heroic efforts in defeating the enemy. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

Action Date: 19-Mar-69

Service: Navy

Rank: Hospital Corpsman Second Class

Company: Corpsman (Attached), Battery D

Battalion: 2d Battalion

Regiment: 22th Marines

Division: 3d Marine Division (Rein) FMF

"DOC" No one will ever Forget You

Steve Truax
[email protected]
Doc Ray was our Corpsman
3245 - 48th Avenue South Minneapolis MN 55406-2337 USA
Remembering Doc Ray 40 years after 3/19/69
Doc Ray was our Corpsman on the hill at Liberty Bridge when he was killed. Doc was the greatest human being I've ever known: caring, courageous, smart and fun. I was wounded that night 3/19/69, came to on a litter and heard someone dying next to me, Doc Ray. Our other corpsman was working on him to no avail and I could only hold Doc's hand while he slipped away. I was med-evaced out and only recently learned Doc Ray was awarded the MOH. No one deserves it more. Gunny Keefe was KIA that night too. God Bless & Semper Fi!,,, GOD'S LOVE AND PEACE TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.