Who was Harry Ray?
Corporal Harry Morton Ray was not the first veteran from Wayne County
(Indiana) killed in World War I. Neither was he the only nor the first
veteran from our county or Richmond to receive a Divisional Citation.
But there is no doubt that he rendered distinguished service in
action and did splendid work under fire, possessed supreme courage and
great devotion to duty, displayed unusual qualities as a leader, and
was held in great esteem by his company commander [Captain Richard M.
Wightman] who was thankful for the loyal support of Corporal Ray under
many trying circumstances.
Harry M. Ray was born on a farm near Elkhorn Mills (now Elkhorn Falls, about N39°46.727' W084°51.895') on Sunday, October 21, 1888, the third of a family of six children. He was the son of Frank and Alice Ray who moved to 1903 North A Street, Richmond, Indiana when Harry was two years old. He was raised in Richmond and attended the schools here. He was in the fire department at the West Fifth Street firehouse. He moved to Detroit sometime in 1913 and was married to Mary Blanche Norman on Saturday, October 23, 1915. After America entered the war on April 6 in 1917, he returned to Richmond to be among the first to enter the service. While awaiting induction he was employed as a core-maker at Swayne-Robinson Co.
Harry Ray was taken into the service in Richmond on Friday, September 21, 1917. He went from Richmond as one of the first 101 men from Wayne County and was assigned to the 159th Depot Brigade at Camp Zachary Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, then going to Camp Forest, Georgia. He left for France on Monday, April 8, 1918. For a short time he was a casual member of the Rainbow Division and later was permanently assigned to Company H, Sixth Infantry, Fifth Division with the grade of corporal. From the time his division disembarked, Ray saw almost continuous service at the front. He went "over the top" many times, always escaping without any injuries even during the hard fighting of September 1918, including the [Sep. 12th] St. Mihiel offensive. The last mail received from him was dated September 27[?], 1918, in which he spoke hopefully of his coming home.
In the early evening of Sunday, October 13, 1918, 1000 yards southeast of Romagne[-sous-Montfaucon N49°20' E005°05'], France, eight days shy of his 30th birthday, ten days shy of his third wedding anniversary, Corporal Ray died almost instantly with five of his men when a shell hit amongst them. The armistice was signed just 29 days later. His wife was notified of his death via telegram on Friday, November 22, 1918, 11 days after the signing [which was 40 days after his death.]
Corporal Ray was survived by his wife, parents, and four sisters, Mrs. Harry Hartzler of Richmond, Miss Hazel Ray who worked for the government in Washington, D.C., Mrs. William Maurer of Atlanta, Georgia, Miss Florence Ray of Cleveland, Ohio, one brother, Herbert E. Ray of Nitro, West Virginia, and a nephew and niece, Ray and June Matthews. In the summer of 1918, shortly before his death, his wife, Blanche, established an apron shop at 194 Fort Wayne Avenue, Richmond. She stated that from the time her husband went away, she felt as though he would never return.
Mrs. John F. Holaday, wife of the Wayne County court reporter, suggested on Friday, July 25, 1919 the name of Harry M. Ray as a fitting title for the [first] Wayne County Post of the American Legion. The fifty members of the post present at the meeting on Monday, August 25, 1919, voted to call the post the "Harry Ray Post." Mrs. Holaday was awarded the $50 prize offered by Will Romey for an appropriate name for the Post. A long list of names had been submitted in the contest, and a committee selected the final five entries. The runners-up were "Frank Genn Post", "Frank Lichtenfels Post", "Gennlich Post", and "Wayne Post." The temporary charter was received on Monday, September 15, 1919, with 90 charter members. The permanent charter was granted on Friday, August 1, 1920.
Corporal Harry M. Ray's body arrived in Hoboken, New Jersey on Wednesday, September 21, 1921... nearly three years after his death, and four years to the day after he entered the service. American Legion "Harry Ray" Post 65 conducted the funeral services a few days later at Earlham Cemetery in Richmond, Indiana.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporal Harry Morton Ray was cited on Tuesday, March 18, 1919 as follows: HEADQUARTERS FIFTH DIVISION, AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES CITATION IN ORDERS FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE IN ACTION.Corporal Harry M. Ray, deceased, Company H, 6th Infantry, who was in charge of a squad of Company H, 6th Infantry, in the St. Mihiel offensive on September 12, 1918, and again in the Argonne-Meuse offensive on October 13, assisted in the capture of a machine gun which was holding up his company on September 12, 1918; and displayed unusual qualities as a leader and great devotion to duty on October 13, 1918, the date on which he was killed in action.
By Command of Major General Ely C.A. Trott, [Second Army] Chief of Staff OFFICIAL DAVID P. WOOD Lieut. Colonel, Infantry, Division Adjutant --------------------------------------------------------------------------- References: Richmond Palladium and Sun-Telegram Saturday, November 23, 1918, page 8, column 6. Thursday, September 22, 1921, page 8, column 1. Monday, May 22, 1922, page 11, column 2. Richmond Palladium (Evening) Friday, July 25, 1919, page 1, column 2. Tuesday, August 26, 1919, page 1, column 2. Wednesday, July 28, 1920, page 1, column 2. Richmond Item Thursday, January 9, 1919, page 1, column 1-2 and page 8, column 2. Sunday, August 31, 1919, page 1, column 1-4. Compiled by Robert M. Ellington of Harry Ray Post 65, December 2004. Annotated October 2008.