The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

It is spring, it is Memorial Day, it is a time to remember, it is a time to fly "Old Glory", and it is a time to give thanks.

Earlier as I walked among military grave stones and monuments, I saw the names of those who had willingly sacrificed so all of us could live in freedom. I wondered who many of them were, and even recognized some I had known if only so briefly.

One name is PFC Robert F. Ray etched under a Christian Cross on a gray tombstone and again as Bob Ray on a black granite monument in a park in Fort Benton, Montana along with others that gave their full measure in World War II.

Who was this young man whose life ended in his prime at the age of 28 years? What did he endure in defending this great nation?

Names from the past that used to be buried in old papers can now be found using new research technology. We can now readily learn about those people so important to the success of our great country. This humbling knowledge give us all a good perspective and appreciation of who they were and who we are.

Bob Ray was born December 8, 1915 to a pioneer family who homesteaded near Big Sandy, Montana in 1914. His early life and schooling were in the Big Sandy area.

He participated in sports including basketball, football and baseball. He captained both the football and basketball teams.

He was a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and served as an officer. Bob graduated from high school in 1936 just prior to hostilities in Europe.

By 1942, he had enlisted in the Army at Fort Lewis, Washington and was sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training. Ray was then sent to Pine Camp (now known as Fort Drum) New York where he was in the tank corp learning fundamentals of armor.

On August 11, 1942 he married Margaret Hodgskiss of Choteau, Montana at Niagara Falls, New York. In September 1942, he returned to Fort Knox for specialized tank mechanics followed by assignments in Needles, California for six months field training and tank maneuvers at the California (Mojave) Desert Training Center.

In June 1943, Bob was moved to Camp Bowie near Brownwood, Texas and posted with the newly formed 4th Armored Division, 37th Tank Battalion for further training.

Notice came, in November of 1943, the 4th Armored, commanded by Major General John S. Wood, would deploy overseas and in December they set sail arriving in England January 8, 1944. Following the "D" Day invasion on June 6, 1944, the 4th Armored left England and arrived in France at Utah Beach July 13, 1944.

By July 28, 1944, Lieutenant-Colonel Creighton Abrams (namesake of the modern M1A1or Abrams battle tank) and his 37th Tank Battalion was ordered into combat and successfully countered German forces and cut through Brittany, France. On August 1, 1944, the 4th Armored, 37th Tank Battalion turned east with General Patton's Third Army and began the historic march across France.

Patton's relentless use of the 4th Armored Division's M4 Sherman tanks scored many victories against Hitler's Panther and Tiger tanks. The largest tank to tank battle occurred near Arracourt, France close to the German border over a period extending from September 19-22, 1944. The Germans tried to push the 37th Tank Battalion back across the Moselle River, but were unsuccessful. Patton lost 14 Sherman tanks while the German's lost 55 Panther and Tiger tanks.

The 37th Tank Battalion with their M4 Sherman tanks was awarded several citations from the USA and France for their heroic and professional effort.

The 37th Tank Battalion was relieved on October 12, 1944, unfortunately Bob Ray's luck ran out on September 25, 1944 as his Sherman tank took a direct hit. Bob was repatriated and buried at the Riverside Cemetery in Fort Benton, Montana.

Bob Ray's service to our country cannot be minimized and he is a credit to a Montana pioneer family led by his grandmother Christine Kolter Ray, my great grandmother.

The poet Longfellow describes those such as Robert F. Ray in the following verse:

"Life's of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and, in departing leave behind us foot prints on the sands of time."

Bob Ray symbolizes those that serve in a military that protects us all and assures our continuing way of life. QED.