David R. Ray

David Robert "Bobby" Ray (February 14, 1945 – March 19, 1969) was a United States Navy hospital corpsman second class who was killed in action during the Vietnam War while assigned to an artillery battery of the United States Marine Corps. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions above and beyond the call of duty on March 19, 1969.

Biography Ray was born on February 14, 1945, to David F. and Donnie M. Ray of McMinnville, Tennessee. He graduated from City High School in McMinnville in 1963. He was a University of Tennessee Alumni Scholarship winner and attended classes at the Knoxville campus from 1963 to 1966. He also received an associate in arts degree in 1965 from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. A memorial to Ray was placed on the Cumberland campus in 2003 in honor of his service and sacrifice.

U.S. Navy

Vietnam War

Ray enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 28, 1966, and reported to Recruit Training Command, Naval Training Center, San Diego, California. Afterwards, he attended the former Naval Hospital Corps School in San Diego and became a hospital corpsman and promoted to hospitalman on June 20. His first assignment as a corpsman was aboard the where he was promoted to hospital corpsman third class on April 16, 1967. In December, following his tour on the hospital ship, he was assigned to the former U.S. Naval Hospital in Long Beach, California, where he was promoted to hospital corpsman second class.

In May 1968, Ray requested a tour of duty with the Fleet Marine Force and was sent to Field Medical Service School, Camp Pendleton, California, to become a FMF corpsman upon successful completion of the course. On July 12, he was sent to and arrived in South Vietnam, and was assigned to Battery D, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced), located at An Hoa, South Vietnam.

Death and burial

In the early morning of March 19, 1969, Fire Support Base Phu Loc 6, located on a hill adjacent to Liberty Bridge in Quảng Nam Province and the command post of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines located near them, were both attacked by an estimated battalion of People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) soldiers. Ray, the senior corpsman for Battery D, moved from parapet to parapet during the attack rendering medical aid to the wounded Marines. While doing this he was seriously wounded and then had to confront two PAVN soldiers attacking his position, killing one and wounding another. After he refused to be aided by the other Battery D corpsman, he continued his lifesaving efforts under oncoming enemy fire.

Ray's final act of heroism was aiding and protecting a wounded Marine after he had run out of ammunition. He placed himself upon the Marine after he saw a PAVN grenade land near them. Ray died after the grenade blast, while the Marine he sacrificed his life for, lived. Ray and eleven Marines from Battery D and two Marines and one Navy corpsman from the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines command post, were killed in the attack.

Other honors Commissioned November 17, 1977 (decommissioned on February 2, 2002, at Naval Station Everett, Washington). David R. Ray Branch Medical Clinic, providing dental and medical care for beneficiaries in the Naval Station Everett area David R. Ray Branch Medical Clinic, providing dental and medical care for beneficiaries at The Basic School, MCB Quantico, VA David R. Ray (Battery D 2nd Battalion 11th Marines 1969) Naval Branch Medical/Dental Clinic, Camp Pendleton, California

Ray Hall, military housing hall, Camp Pendleton, California – dedicated June 22, 1974 Highway 70S Bypass in McMinnville, Tennessee

Ray Clinic/Ray immunizations, USA MEDDAC, Ft. Huachuca, Arizona

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Ray's name appears on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall at panel 29W, row 082 in Washington, D.C.