First Lieutenant Ronald Eric Ray was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on June 19, 1966 at Ia Drang Valley, Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. At the time he was serving with Company A, 2d Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. Ray was 24 years old.
The medal was presented on May 14, 1970, 3 years after the action — the White House, presented by Pres. Richard M. Nixon. He later rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Ray was born on December 7, 1941 in Cordele, Crisp County, Georgia. His Medal of Honor is credited to Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. Ray is one of the living Medal of Honor recipients.
Ray is one of 274 Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War and one of 23 credited to Georgia.
Official Medal of Honor citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. Ray distinguished himself while serving as a platoon leader with Company A. When one of his ambush patrols was attacked by an estimated reinforced Viet Cong company, Capt. Ray organized a reaction force and quickly moved through two kilometers of mountainous jungle terrain to the contact area. After breaking through the hostile lines to reach the beleaguered patrol, Capt. Ray began directing the reinforcement of the site. When an enemy position pinned down three of his men with a heavy volume of automatic-weapons fire, he silenced the emplacement with a grenade and killed four Viet Cong with his rifle fire. As medics were moving a casualty toward a sheltered position, they began receiving intense hostile fire. While directing suppressive fire on the enemy position, Capt. Ray moved close enough to silence the enemy with a grenade. A few moments later Capt. Ray saw an enemy grenade land, unnoticed, near two of his men. Without hesitation or regard for his safety he dove between the grenade and the men, thus shielding them from the explosion while receiving wounds in his exposed feet and legs. He immediately sustained additional wounds in his legs from an enemy machine gun, but nevertheless he silenced the emplacement with another grenade. Although suffering great pain from his wounds, Capt. Ray continued to direct his men, providing the outstanding courage and leadership they vitally needed, and prevented their annihilation by successfully leading them from their surrounded position. Only after assuring that his platoon was no longer in immediate danger did he allow himself to be evacuated for medical treatment. By his gallantry at the risk of his life in the highest traditions of the military service, Capt. Ray has reflected great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and injuries
What the citation records about his wounds:
Without hesitation or regard for his safety he dove between the grenade and the men, thus shielding them from the explosion while receiving wounds in his exposed feet and legs.
He immediately sustained additional wounds in his legs from an enemy machine gun, but nevertheless he silenced the emplacement with another grenade.
Although suffering great pain from his wounds, Capt. Ray continued to direct his men, providing the outstanding courage and leadership they vitally needed, and prevented their annihilation by successfully leading them from their surrounded position.
Battles and campaigns
Also served in: Vietnam War.
Life beyond the battlefield
- Education: University of Oklahoma, University of Tampa
Source: Wikidata.
Places
- Born: Cordele — map
Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Georgia →
From the archives
Col. Ronald E. Ray was born on December 7, 1941. He served in the Army from 1959 until his retirement in 1980, serving two tours in Vietnam.
Ray was chosen as a White House Fellow in 1974, serving as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Commerce. He was nominated by President George Bush to be an Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs, where he served from 1989 to 1993.
Ray co-founded MedicaSoft, a provider of cloud-based HIPAA-compliant software solutions and health information technology services.
In 2008, he established Ray Group International and four years later, PwC acquired RGI, where he joined and served as a Managing Director in their Public Sector Practice. In 2013, he was selected by Consulting Magazine in its annual list of “Top 25 Consultants” in the “Excellence in Public Sector” category.
Ray holds a bachelor’s in history from the University of Tampa and a master’s in public administration from the University of Oklahoma. He is a member of the Special Forces Association as well as the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, where he is a current member and former president. He is also a member of the White House Fellows Association, Omicron Delta Kappa, Legion of Valor, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion.
Timeline
- December 7, 1941Born in Cordele, Crisp County, Georgia
- June 19, 1966Act of valor — Ia Drang Valley, Republic of VietnamAge 24. Company A, 2d Battalion, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division
- May 14, 1970Medal of Honor presentedThe White House, presented by Pres. Richard M. Nixon
Biography
Ronald Eric Ray (born December 7, 1941) is a former United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Vietnam War.
From the Wikipedia article “Ronald E. Ray”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →
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