The Wall › Panel 43E › Kentucky › David L Ray
DAVID L RAY
Staff Sergeant · U.S. Army
March 25, 1946 – March 6, 1968
Service recordDavid L Ray, of Louisville, Kentucky, served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. He died on March 6, 1968, in Gia Dinh Province, South Vietnam, at age 21. His name is inscribed on Panel 43E, Line 31 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 43E · Line 31
Names are inscribed in the order of loss, starting at Panel 1E at the apex and ending at Panel 1W. At the Memorial, find the panel number at the base and count down from the top line.
Remember
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Army
- Rank
- Staff Sergeant (SSG)
- Service
- Regular
- Occupation
- Armor Crewman (11E)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 25 INF DIV
- Born
- March 25, 1946
- Home of record
- Louisville, Kentucky (Jefferson County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- March 6, 1968
- Age
- 21
- Province
- Gia Dinh
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Died of Wounds
- Circumstance
- Grenade
Context · from the records
What was happening
140 names on the Wall carry the date March 6, 1968; ten of them were lost in Gia Dinh Province. In March 1968, 1,767 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 25th Infantry Division, his unit in the record, lost 188 of its members that month.
He died in Gia Dinh Province while the Tet Offensive was under way. Beginning on the night of 30–31 January 1968, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces attacked more than 100 cities and towns across South Vietnam, including the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. February 1968 was the deadliest month of the war for Americans.
Also on Panel 43E, Line 31
- HOWARD EDWARD RANDOLPHLance Corporal · March 6, 1968
- SAMUEL PERCELL ROBINSONCorporal · March 6, 1968
- DOMINGO RODRIGUEZ JRPrivate · March 6, 1968
Same unit, same day
- STEPHEN WOOD DOWNEYPrivate First Class · Panel 43E, Line 16
- KENDALL THOMAS FORTNEYSpecialist Four · Panel 43E, Line 18
- JOHN LODA HAINESSergeant · Panel 43E, Line 19
- JOSEPH EDWARD HARTZSergeant · Panel 43E, Line 20
- JOHN GERALD HEISELMANSpecialist Four · Panel 43E, Line 20
- EARL H HILLSSpecialist Four · Panel 43E, Line 21
- HOOD HAL HUNTPrivate First Class · Panel 43E, Line 23
- JOE ALEMAN MIRANDAPrivate · Panel 43E, Line 26
- LARRY MUNOZCorporal · Panel 43E, Line 28
- ANTHONY PATRIZICorporal · Panel 43E, Line 29
- JOSEPH DEAN SEIBERTSergeant · Panel 43E, Line 33
- GLENN SULLIVANSergeant · Panel 43E, Line 36
- LEAMUEL ARTIS WHITESecond Lieutenant · Panel 43E, Line 38
From Louisville
- FERGUS COLEMAN GROVES IICaptain · February 2, 1962
- ROBERT SHERMAN MOSIERSpecialist Five · February 10, 1965
- DON IRA WILLIAMSONColonel · October 24, 1964
- DONALD GORDON RADCLIFFMajor · August 18, 1965
- LEE ROY JAMESGunnery Sergeant · September 5, 1965
- JERRY DWAYNE UNDERWOODPrivate First Class · September 18, 1965
- GARY LOUIS DOWELLCorporal · October 27, 1965
- THOMAS EDWARD THAYER JRSergeant Major · November 8, 1965
- BOBBY LEE FAVORSSergeant · February 4, 1966
- KENNETH RUSHPrivate First Class · February 7, 1966
Source. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Casualty Analysis System, Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File (as of April 29, 2008), Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330, National Archives (NAID 2240992). Panel and line as recorded in that file. This page presents the official record and its historical context; no biography has been written for him yet. See something wrong? Report a correction.