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Page 5 text:
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WHO WAS DAVID R. RAY? HE MAN BEHIND THE SHIP On March 19, 1969, at Liberty Bridge, Northeast of 1 Has at Phu Loc, Battery D , where HM2 David R. ly was assigned, was attacked by Viet Cong soldiers. A mpany of enemy troops attacked the Marines with ingalore torpedoes, satchel charge, flame throwers and enades. Throughout the close quarters battle that last- through the night, HM2 Ray kept busy tending to the Dunds of injured Marines. Bobby Ray, as he was lown to friends and family, was interrupted while ban- iging a Marine when two enemy soldiers attacked his jsition. Bobby Ray killed one and wounded the other, (though wounded himself, he moved through enemy fire assist other Marines. He was wounded a second time, it he continued on. He had reached another wounded [arine when a grenade landed nearby. Weakened by a ss of blood, HM2 Ray barely managed to cover the Ma- nes body with his own. The explosion killed Bobby Ray, at the Marine lived. David R. Ray was born February 14, 1945, in the iwn of McMinnville, Tennessee. He was active in the oy Scouts and played trombone in his high school band, e was vice president of his senior class. In 1963 he won Diversity of Tennessee Alumni Scholarship. In his third jar he decided to enlist in the Navy and opted to attend le United States Hospital School in San Diego. His first )mmand was the USS HAVEN, followed by Naval Hos- ital. Long Beach, Ca. It was there that he volunteered ) serve with the Marines. His mother, Donnie Ray, speaks of him as active, loughtful, caring and sometimes mischievous in his Duth. He never complained when he was hurt, even when e was little. His mom feels that he was afraid of nothing nd ready for anything. Bobby Ray had told his mother lat the reason he joined the Corps was because many len had gotten The Medal, but most had died. On April 0, 1970, the Congressional Medal of Honor was posthu- lously awarded to David R. Ray by Vice President Spiro ,gnew. The citation read in part For conspicuous gal- mtry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and be- ond the call of duty while ser ving as a corpsman. Petty Officer Ray served to inspire the men of Bat- fry D to heroic efforts in defeating the enemy. In the words of Major Wayne A. Babb, commander f Battery F and D, he died living the Marine Corp mot- D . . . ' Semper Fidelis ' . . . always faithful. Whether he led a Marine or a sailor, he died not to be forgotten, but 3 be honored and respected by all. David R. Ray At Home 1
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Page 6 text:
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COMMANDING OFFICER Commander Wesley A. Bergazzi iWlKi tai i I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF BY PERSONALLY THANK- ING ALL THE CRUISE BOOK COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND CREW MEMBERS THAT ASSIST- ED PUTTING TOGETHER THE FINEST CRUISE BOOK I HAVE SEEN. THIS CRUISE BOOK HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AND DETAILS IN PICTURES AND WORDS A MOST MEMORABLE, HISTORIC DEPLOYMENT. THE HARD WORK AND DED- ICATION TO DUTY BY EVERY CREW MEMBER WAS THE FO- CAL POINT OF MY REFLEC- TIONS ON THE PAST SIX MONTHS. YOU CAME THROUGH A RIGOROUS 10 MONTH POST OVERHAUL PERIOD OF INSPEC- TIONS AND TESTING TO PRE- PARATIONS FOR OVERSEAS MOVEMENT IN APRIL. BEING TASKED AS A MIDDLE EAST FORCE SHIP BROUGHT BACK VIVID MEMORIES OF THE GULF WAR OF THE 80 ' S BUT TODAY THE ENVIRONMENT WAS DIFFERENT AND PEACE WAS AT HAND ... OR WAS IT DISGUISED AS SOMETHING ELSE? AS THE REFUELING OFF KUWAIT FINISHED ON 31 JULY LITTLE DID WE KNOW WHAT WAS IN STORE FOR US AND THE REST OF THE WORLD IN THE DAYS AHEAD. WHILE ON PA- TROL IN THE NORTHERN PERSIAN GULF ON 2 AUG THE EARLY MORNING CALL SENDING US TO GENERAL QUARTERS SHOOK US FROM STEM TO STERN. THE UNTHINKABLE AND UN- IMAGINABLE HAD HAPPENED ON OUR WATCH! KUWAIT HAD BEEN INVADED AND SUDDEN- LY THE GULF ONCE AGAIN WAS ON THE BRINK OF WAR. THE PROFESSIONAL, ENTHUSIASTIC, WELL ORGANIZED RESPONSE BY ALL WILL BE RE- MEMBERED BOTH ON AND OFF THE SHIP, AS YOU WERE READY FOR BATTERIES RE- LEASED FROM THE FIRST MOMENT. YOU AS A CREW WERE SUPER IN THE WEEKS TO FOL- LOW AS THE SHIP EVOLVED INTO MERCHANT SHIP INTERDICTION OPERATIONS. YOU LED BY EXAMPLE BY INTERCEPTING OVER 220 MERCHANTS AND BOARDING 1. THIS OUTSTAND- ING RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HAR- MONIOUS WORKING RELATIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE SHIP, HELO DEPARTMENT AND GULF WORKHORSE OCEANLORD 20. THE HELO DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED 298 DAY LAND- INGS AND 210 NIGHT LANDINGS WITH OVER 430 TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS SAFELY CONDUCTED. I WISH TO THANK EVERY MEMBER FOR THEIR UNSELFISH DEVOTION TO THEIR SHIPMATES AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE BRAVE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS ON THE HOMEFRONT WHO HELPED US THROUGH THE TOUGH TIMES AND THE HOT GULF SUMMER. YOU ALL HAD AN EQUALLY IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY IN A DEPLOYMENT THAT WILL BE READ ABOUT IN THE HISTORY BOOKS FOR YEARS TO COME. THANK YOU ONE AND ALL. RESPECTFULLY,
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