World War II Honoree

Henry B. Ray

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Delta, Colorado

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: TECHNICAL SERGEANT. SERVED AS A B-25C ‘MITCHELL’ MEDIUM BOMBER FLIGHT ENGINEER, WHO WAS KILLED AUGUST 18, 1942 DURING A NORMAL TAKE-OFF. THE TWIN-ENGINE BOMBER HAD TAKEN-OFF FROM THE COLUMBIA ARMY AIR BASE, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA WHEN THE STARBOARD ENGINE FAILED. THE AIRCRAFT, AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AND OUT OF CONTROL CRASHED ONTO THE AIRFIELD. IT EXPLODED INTO FLAMES UPON IMPACT, FATALLY INJURING THE FOUR CREWMEN. HE HAD ENTERED THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS AUGUST 28, 1940 AND RECEIVED HIS TRAINING AT LOWRY ARMY AIRFIELD, COLORADO; PENDLETON ARMY AIRFIELD, OREGON AND LINCOLN ARMY AIRFIELD, NEBRASKA.