Cpl. John Ray
5th Marine Division
Saipan/Iwo Jima ’43-‘45
5th Marine Division
Saipan/Iwo Jima ’43-‘45
Jack Ray was born May 3rd, 1925. He grew up during the Depression in Darien, CT. His father was a mortgage broker and he lost his business. His father then went to work for the Town of Darien Relief Administrator. His parents had Jack fingerprinted because Jack’s father, in his position with the Relief Administrator, came in contact with a lot of people in dire straits. They were worried someone would become very angry and kidnap Jack.
In his senior year in high school he and his friends knew that they would be drafted. Instead they went to the school principal and requested that they finish school early so they could enlist. They did and Jack enlisted on March 3rd, 1943. He was first sent to Parris Island for 8 to 10 weeks of basic training. He received a brief leave and came home to see his parents before shipping out to Camp Lejeune where he received training to be a Field Radio Operator. He went on to receive further training at Camp Elliott and Camp Pendleton. Eventually Jack shipped out from San Diego to Camp Smith in Honolulu.
After some significant training there, Jack deployed to Saipan and arrived there two days after the battle began and was assigned to an Amtrack (LTV or Landing Vehicle Tracked). Jack’s job was to call in Naval airstrikes and provide jamming of the enemy’s radio waves. Jack stayed on Island until it was secured and then returned to Maui. From Maui Jack deployed to Iwo Jima.
Jack said that they circled the island until it was time for them to go ashore. His LST was in the 7th or 8th wave to go ashore. They were given sagely advice, “keep your head down”. Jack eventually drove his vehicle ashore and was on the beach for a period of time. Jack remembered digging a foxhole and the sand was warm because the island was a volcano. He also recalled that there was an extensive tunnel system and you could hear the Japanese underneath you. I asked if there were a lot of dead American soldiers. He said yes. Jack said he was talking to several GI’s on the beach, but he eventually determined they were dead
Jack watched the flag go up on Mt. Suribachi and then he watched it come down. It was decided that flag should go to a museum. Then he watched the second flag go up. Jack remained on the island until the battle was complete. During that time, he contracted Dengue Fever. I asked him if he was scared. He said quite matter-of-factly, “no, you had a job to do. I was young. You didn’t think about it.” He said some guys couldn’t take it. During the action some guys started to cry and became paralyzed with fear. He said after the action subsided, he was in a group of GI’s standing at attention and when they were told “at ease”, one GI remained stiff at attention. I tried very hard to get Jack to give details of the battle, but his attitude was, we came, we fought, we conquered, we went home. Jack’s wife Barbara of 63 years said the opening scene from Saving Private Ryan was very realistic and Jack agreed. I asked him his most memorable moment of Iwo Jima and he said, “when the gate came down (on the LST) and you were exposed”.
Eventually Jack went to Japan as part of the Occupational Forces. “They weren’t too happy to see us”. Jack had accumulated enough points from combat and he was able to receive his discharge early and was discharged on January 15th, 1946.
During his time in the service he met John Manuelito who was a Navajo Indian and part of the Code Talkers. He also met Bob Crosby and became friendly with him. When Jack was in California after the war, he and some friends stopped in to see Bob and his orchestra perform. Bob recognized them and threw his conductor’s baton to someone in the band and said, “you’re on your own. I’m taking these guys out on the town”, and he did.
Jack came back to the USA and began working as a residential real estate appraiser with People’s Bank in Bridgeport. Jack married and had one son but eventually became divorced. Jack remarried to Barbara, who worked at GE in Fairfield County CT. They have been married for 63 years and have 3 children and several grandchildren. Through the years they were avid campers and hikers. Barbara was born in 1935 and her memory of WWII is sitting in front of the radio as a little girl and listening to Roosevelt deliver his address after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Jack not only participated in the battles of Saipan and Iwo Jima, but he survived the heavy combat there. In all of his answers to my questions his attitude was very, “yeah I was there”. When we were done, I finally said to him, “you and a lot of other guys did incredible things and saved the world. You seem awfully nonchalant about it.” He shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
Thank God for Jack and nation of brave men like him.
In his senior year in high school he and his friends knew that they would be drafted. Instead they went to the school principal and requested that they finish school early so they could enlist. They did and Jack enlisted on March 3rd, 1943. He was first sent to Parris Island for 8 to 10 weeks of basic training. He received a brief leave and came home to see his parents before shipping out to Camp Lejeune where he received training to be a Field Radio Operator. He went on to receive further training at Camp Elliott and Camp Pendleton. Eventually Jack shipped out from San Diego to Camp Smith in Honolulu.
After some significant training there, Jack deployed to Saipan and arrived there two days after the battle began and was assigned to an Amtrack (LTV or Landing Vehicle Tracked). Jack’s job was to call in Naval airstrikes and provide jamming of the enemy’s radio waves. Jack stayed on Island until it was secured and then returned to Maui. From Maui Jack deployed to Iwo Jima.
Jack said that they circled the island until it was time for them to go ashore. His LST was in the 7th or 8th wave to go ashore. They were given sagely advice, “keep your head down”. Jack eventually drove his vehicle ashore and was on the beach for a period of time. Jack remembered digging a foxhole and the sand was warm because the island was a volcano. He also recalled that there was an extensive tunnel system and you could hear the Japanese underneath you. I asked if there were a lot of dead American soldiers. He said yes. Jack said he was talking to several GI’s on the beach, but he eventually determined they were dead
Jack watched the flag go up on Mt. Suribachi and then he watched it come down. It was decided that flag should go to a museum. Then he watched the second flag go up. Jack remained on the island until the battle was complete. During that time, he contracted Dengue Fever. I asked him if he was scared. He said quite matter-of-factly, “no, you had a job to do. I was young. You didn’t think about it.” He said some guys couldn’t take it. During the action some guys started to cry and became paralyzed with fear. He said after the action subsided, he was in a group of GI’s standing at attention and when they were told “at ease”, one GI remained stiff at attention. I tried very hard to get Jack to give details of the battle, but his attitude was, we came, we fought, we conquered, we went home. Jack’s wife Barbara of 63 years said the opening scene from Saving Private Ryan was very realistic and Jack agreed. I asked him his most memorable moment of Iwo Jima and he said, “when the gate came down (on the LST) and you were exposed”.
Eventually Jack went to Japan as part of the Occupational Forces. “They weren’t too happy to see us”. Jack had accumulated enough points from combat and he was able to receive his discharge early and was discharged on January 15th, 1946.
During his time in the service he met John Manuelito who was a Navajo Indian and part of the Code Talkers. He also met Bob Crosby and became friendly with him. When Jack was in California after the war, he and some friends stopped in to see Bob and his orchestra perform. Bob recognized them and threw his conductor’s baton to someone in the band and said, “you’re on your own. I’m taking these guys out on the town”, and he did.
Jack came back to the USA and began working as a residential real estate appraiser with People’s Bank in Bridgeport. Jack married and had one son but eventually became divorced. Jack remarried to Barbara, who worked at GE in Fairfield County CT. They have been married for 63 years and have 3 children and several grandchildren. Through the years they were avid campers and hikers. Barbara was born in 1935 and her memory of WWII is sitting in front of the radio as a little girl and listening to Roosevelt deliver his address after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Jack not only participated in the battles of Saipan and Iwo Jima, but he survived the heavy combat there. In all of his answers to my questions his attitude was very, “yeah I was there”. When we were done, I finally said to him, “you and a lot of other guys did incredible things and saved the world. You seem awfully nonchalant about it.” He shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
Thank God for Jack and nation of brave men like him.