RAY, JAMES MICHAEL
Name: James Michael Ray
Rank/Branch: E3/US Army
Unit:
Date of Birth: 10 November 1949 (Cambridge MA)
Home City of Record: Woonsocket RI (family in CA)
Date of Loss: 18 March 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 113409N 1080234E (AN775805)
Status (in 1973): Prisoner of War
Category: 1
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Refno: 1093
Other Personnel in Incident: John G. Dunn (Released POW)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 30 June 1990 from one or more of
the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence
with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W.
NETWORK 1998.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: On March 18, 1968, PFC James M. Ray and 1Lt. John G. Dunn were part of
a unit on a road clearing mission with Montagnard soldiers on Highway 20 in Lam
Dong Province, South Vietnam.
During the mission, both Ray and Dunn were captured by the Viet Cong and taken
to Cambodia for detention. Dunn was released in the general prisoner release
nearing the end of American involvement in Vietnam in 1973. Jimmy Ray did not
come home.
Ray, who had been wounded during his capture, was rotated within the "system" of
those POWs held in South Vietnam. He made escape attempts which infuriated his
captors and they beat him severely and confined him with chains. He was awarded
the Silver Star for gallantry for these escape attempts and resulting torture.
In April 1969, an American POW who escaped from the camp where Ray was being
held with other POWs reported that Jimmy was alive and one of the healthiest of
the POWs both mentally and physically. Jimmy was held apart from the other POWs,
because of his attempts to escape.
In the summer of 1969, Jimmy became ill with malaria and reportedly died in
November 1969 at a detention camp in the northern Tay Ninh Province/Cambodia
area. Although there are "statements" attesting to Jimmy Ray's death, many years
would pass before Jimmy's father would be able to trace and personally talk to
POWs held with Jimmy. NOT ONE saw him dead - even those whose "statements" were
in Jimmy's files!
PFC Ray's records are a tangle of inconsistencies. His death was "reported" when
there was no witness, and this report was later retracted. A medal was awarded
for gallantry in an escape occurring AFTER Jimmy was supposed to have died.
However, no verified proof of his death was ever received.
Jimmy's family feels there is a strong chance that he is alive today, but if he
is not, they know that the communist government of Vietnam certainly knows the
fate of PFC Jimmy Ray, who, in the words of one POW, "wanted more than anything
else to be free."
The Vietnamese state that Jimmy died on November 6, 1969, but have not produced
proof of his death or returned a body.
James M. Ray was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant during the period he was
a prisoner of war.
------------------------------------------------
[sgtray.txt 04/21/92]
{note - the "handwritten" portions of this document, not attributed to
anyone else, were written by stepmother Mrs. Jean Ray}
SGT. JAMES MICHAEL RAY
P O W
MARCH 18, 1968
A B A N D O N E D !
You'd damn will care if it was YOUR father, son, brother, or husband !
(handwritten)
S/SGT. James Michael Ray
Born Nov. 10, 1949 - Cambridge, Mass.
525 Military Intelligence Group - Team 38
Please pay special attention to DATES & CIRCUMSTANCES
March 18, 1968 CAPTURED................Purple Heart & Bronze Star
June 11, 1969 DIED....................
July 4, 1969 ESCAPE ATTEMPT..........Silver Star
Nov. 30, 1969 Purple Heart & Bronze
Note - Returned Prisoners statements #(1) & (2)
- Dept. of Defense letter
- Sexton letters #(3)&
_______________________________________________________________________
REPORT OF DEATH INFORMATION
________________________________________________________________________
SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE AND SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Pertaining to SSG James
M. Ray
WITNESS STATEMENTS:
SSG FELIX V. NECO-QUINONES: Date of death 1969. Had personal knowledge
of SSG Ray's death. Circumstances: Starvation (stopped eating). Saw VC
guards carry shovels to Ray's area and wrap his body. Did not see Ray
buried.
SSG GARY J. GUGGENBERGER: He and Ray were in same bunker. Ray was very
ill and would not eat. When Guggenberger left bunker one A.K. he
believed Ray dead. When he returned Ray was gone.
MAJ RAYMOND C. SCHRUMP: Reported that Ray assaulted a guard, was
beaten, and moved to another camp where Guggenberger and Neco-Quinones
were held. Schrump heard from GUGGENBERGER and NECO-QUINONES that Ray
had died of starvation because he would not eat.
SSG John Sexton: Reported in Oct - Nov 69 that a PW died in captivity;
and identified a photo of Ray as the deceased.
SP 4 Richard Springman: (HEARSAY from Bobby Johnson) Ray was brought to
camp in chains. Had trouble with guard named Shaggy. Shaggy and two
other guards took individual away. Never seen again. Springman believed
individual to be James M. Ray. Additional Comment: Springman believed
that the individual described could have been either James M. Ray or
Robert E. Chenoweth.
SSG Bobby Johnson: (SOURCE OF INFO GUGGENBERGER) Circumstances: Died
because refused to take food and medicine. Additional Comment:
Guggenberger witnessed the death of Ray.
SP 5 Fredrick H. Crowson: (SOURCE OF INFO GUGGENBERGER) Ray died in
1969, Crowson captured in 1970 learned of Ray's death from Guggenberger
who had been present.
Richard W. Utect - Civilian (SOURCE OF INFO GUGGENBERGER) Guggenberger
told Richard Utect 10 Jan 73 of circumstances of Ray's disappearance.
Believed to be very ill and was taken from camp by VC.
(List 6-11-69)
**********************************************************************
(handwritten)
# (1)
My name is Felix Neco-Quinones.
A Review of the Report of death information on James M. Ray
indicates that I'd made (xmispelled crossed outx) cirtain
statements (xx) regarding (xx) his death. Thise statements
refer to are not correct.I never Know or saw James M Ray
(signed)
Felix Neco-Quinones
20 November 1983
San Juan P.R.
*********************************************************************
(handwritten)
#(2)
I would like to make a correction in the report of death
information of James Ray.
Under my name it is written that Ray and I were in the same
bunker. This is not correct. As of (?) Jan -69 I was put in
solitary for 14 months.
I never lived or talked to the person that was thought to be
Ray. I only observed that a caucasian man was ill and pro-
gressively getting worse. I asked the Viet-Cong if I could
help the man, but was told no. I never had any communication
with man.
Any other source of info Guggenberger statements are not
facts and not things I said or knew.
I never spoke to or knew James Ray. And therefore I can not
say the man that died was James Ray.
(signed)
Gary J. Guggenberger
April 22, 1984
_______________________________________________________________________
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECCRETARY OF DEFENSE
Washington, D.C. 20301
(seal)
INTERNATIONAL
SECURITY AFFAIRS
(stamped) 26 NOV 1984
(handwritten)
PHONE (805) 937-6023
Mr. Charles Ray (handwritten & Jean Ray [stepmother])
1650 East Clark, #325
Santa (Clara xcrossed outx_corrected) Maria, CA 93455
Dear Mr. Ray:
Enclosed, as per your conversation with Mr. Richard Childress and me,
are those portions of the debriefing transcripts and related material of
SGT Guggenberger and SSGT Neco-Quinones that pertain to your son, James
Ray. I have also in- cluded the appropriate portions of SGT Sexton's
debrief and DA 341 since they provide information on your son which may
be of value in determining what happened.
Some words and sentences have been deleted from the enclosed debriefing
transcripts. These omissions refer to other POWs or to material which, I
assure you from my personal review, do not relate in any way to your
son. Their removal was necessary so that we might be able to provide the
documents to you.
I believe the transcripts speak for themselves and, when taken together,
present a reasonably clear picture of what happened.
** ALTHOUGH NO ONE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A FIRST HAND WITNESS TO YOU SON'S
DEATH, IT APPEARS, evident from the transcripts that SOMEONE MATCHING
JIMMY'S DESCRIPTION APPARENTLY DIED **
while he was separated from the other POWs in the camp and that Mr. Sexton
identified a photograph of Jimmy as that individual.
It is true, as Mr. Guggenberger pointed out in his note to you, that he
was never in the same bunker with your son. I have informed the U.S.
Army that this statement is in error and requested that they correct
Jimmy's record to reflect that Mr. Guggenberger states he was not in the
same bunker does not bear directly on what happened to Jimmy.
**(Handwritten) How would you like to be declared dead on this kind of
evidence??
I hope this information is useful to you in our mutual effort to
understand what happened to your son while he was a POW.
Sincerely,
(signed)
Gerald S. Venanzi
COL, USAF
Principal Advisor
POW/MIA Affairs
Attachments
A. Guggenberger DA 341
B. Guggenberger Debrief Extract
C. Neco-Quinoes Debrief Extract
D. Sexton DA 341
E. Sexton Debrief
********************************************************************
#(3)
July 29, 1986
To whom it may concern,
The purpose for writing this statement is to explain my knowledge about
James M. Ray, while being held captive by the Vietnamese.
My first and only contact with Jimmy was sometime between October and
December 1969. It is difficult to give an exact month since we were not
told dates or even months.
Each one of us tried to keep a mental calendar. The way this was done
was when something happened concerning the war we were told when and
where it happened. These events gave us a gauge to enable us to keep our
running calendar.
The peace marches were popular during this Oct-Dec time frame and we
were kept posted of what were known as moratoriums. They used each
occurance as propa- ganda in order to deminish our morale.
One day the guard un-chained me to go and bathe. Along the trail he
stopped me to look for a string or bucket in order to draw water from a
shallow well.
Since I was unchained, he told me to squat down. That is when I saw a
caucasian man. He was lying in a hammock with both his feet and arms
over the sides.
We were forbidden to talk openly, so he and I communicated by saying
words between coughs and yawns. Sometimes because the guard couldn't
speak english, we would say something indirectly to one another.
He said his name was Jimmy Ray and when talking about family he
mentioned California. I wasn't able to find out if he meant his mother
and father were from California. We constantly tried to find out
information about one another in camp, out of a sense of caring and
curiousity.
It wasn't much later there were no sounds coming from where Jimmy was
being held. I'm not exactly sure but I would say somewhere between three
to six weeks.
In 1970, during the Cambodian Invasion we were constantly on the move.
Either because of logistics or lack of manpower we were all grouped and
chained together.
This is when I first met John Dunn. They were unable to keep us from
talking since we were all so close even though they tried. John
mentioned how he was captured with Jimmy and explained more about how
he, Jimmy, and Ray Shrump had been previously held in an entirely
different camp.
There are a number of things which lead me to believe that something
happened to Jimmy Ray. One cannot automatically conclude, by his no
longer being in our camp, that he had died, since there is a possibility
he was moved to another camp.
Prisoners were shifted from one camp to another sometimes with no
apparent reason. John Dunn and Ray Shrump had been in a previous camp
with Jimmy and other Americans. Then one day they were brought to the
camp where I was eventually brought.
Ferdinand Rodriquez was moved out of our camp for some months, then one
day he suddenly re-appeared. Later, when talking with him, he mentioned
he had been in another camp.
He said, while in this camp he was with Micheal Varnaro, the helicopter
pilot we all had seen during the Cambodian Invasion. To my knowledge no
one has seen or heard from Michael to this day.
When I was first captured, I could not eat their food. The camp
commander mentioned how there were many camps where Americans had said
the same thing to him. Then throughout my captivity constant mention was
made of these other camps.
But mainly my captors stressed the punishment camps. According to the
camp commander, these were for those of us who did not learn. This was
especially stressed to me, after I had escaped on two occasions.
In our camp every effort was made to keep us seperated. Most of the
timed we were isolated or kept two to a bunker. During these times,
while going to the bathroom, or to bathe, we would use our communicating
techniques.
It should be understood that at certain time periods, we didn't exactly
know what was happening to one another. The only way to know for sure
was to be chained together in the same bunker (hole in the ground).
Rick Springman, who was last with me in my bunker, had no real proof of
what happened to me. They moved him and everyone else out and left me
behind alone. No one knew for sure what happened to me until they were
released in 1973, and it was 1971 when I was released.
To my knowledge, I was the last person to see Jimmy Ray. His appearance
was exactly the same as all of the rest in our camp at one time or
another.
His appearing to be ill, cannot and should not be a determining factor
in his status. I can only imagine how I looked after being held for the
same amount of time. I remember hearing each man in our camp say how
many times he had been sick.
I personally was sick with malaria on average about once a month, and
there was constant dysentery. Scurvey and beriberi and two more I
remember, along with intestinal problems which persist till today.
I have to conclude that no person, to my knowledge, in the United States
knows exactly what happened to Jimmy Ray. The only people who know for
sure are the Vietnamese.
I hope this information will be of benefit so that correct conclusions
will be made about Jimmy Ray. If I can be of further help please let me
know.
Sincerely, (signed) John Sexton, Jr.
This letter was sent to: Bill Laahs
Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs
414 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
tel. (202) 224-6230
(handwritten with arrow pointing up to Bill Laahs showing office of
Alaska Senator Frank Murkowski)
___________________________________________________________
(Purple Heart Emblem)
T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
TO ALL WHO SHALL SEE THESE PRESENTS, GREETING
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
HAS AWARDED THE
P U R P L E H E A R T
ESTABLISHED BY GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON
AT NEWBURGH, NEW YORK, AUGUST 7, 1782
TO
STAFF SERGEANT JAMES M. RAY, UNITED STATES ARMY
FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED
IN ACTION
IN VIETNAM ON 18 MARCH 1968
GIVEN UNDER MY HAND IN THE CITY OF WASHINGTON
THIS 17TH DAY OF JANUARY 1974
(signed) (United States of America (signed)
Verne L. Bowers War Office seal) Howard H.Callaway
Major General, USA Secretary of the Army
The Adjutant General
___________________________________________________________________
(Emblem)
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Executive
Order, August 24, 1962, has awarded the Bronze Star Medal (First Oak
Leaf Cluster) posthumously to
STAFF SERGEANT JAMES M. RAY, (THEN PRIVATE FIRST CLASS), UNITED STATES
ARMY for heroism:
Staff Sergeant (then Private First Class) James M. Ray distinguished
himself by heroic actions on 18 MARCH 1968 in connection with
military operations against a hostile force in the Republic of
Vietnam. While serving as a radio telephone operator on a road
clearing mission with a unit of the Republic of south Vietnam Army,
near Di Linh, Lam Dong Province, Sergeant Ray's unit came under heavy
fire from the front. Sergeant Ray was wounded by an explosion.
Although wounded, Sergeant Ray returned fire on a number of the enemy
who were attempting to move toward his position. SERGEANT RAY WAS
TAKEN PRISONER. During his period of confinement as Prisoner of War
Sergeant Ray aided his fellow prisoners and tried to maintain a high
morale at all times. The courage and performance of duty demonstrated
by Sergeant Ray until his death reflects great credit upon himself and
the United States Army.
(SEAL)
_______________________________________________________________
(handwritten
in left margin)
HONORABLE SERVICE
returned POW's
said "Jim could
not have died
on 11 June 69
because he tried
to escape (Emblem)
on 4 July 69"
after proving in the Armed Forces of the United States of America
this the U.S.
Gov., we were ? In grateful Memory of ?
told the dates
were transposed STAFF SERGEANT JAMES MICHAEL RAY
11 June 69 ? He Died in the Service of our Country ?
should have read
6 Nov 69
UNITED STATES ARMY
on the 11th day of June 1969 This certificate is awarded
as a testimonial of Honest and Faithful Service
(Signed)
?
____________________________________________________________________
(stamped seal?) JOINT CASUALTY RESOLUTION CENTER (large stamped
word COMPLETE)
NAS BARBERS POINT, HAWAII 96862
CASE #1093-1-01
NARRATIVE
PFC James M. Ray, U.S. Army, was captured on 18 March 1968 while on a
road clearing mission with Montagnard soldiers in Di Linh District, Lam
Dong Province on Highway 20 in the vicinity of AN 775805. One other
American, 1LT John G. Dunn, U.S. Army, was also captpured in this
incident and was released in 1973. PFC Ray was wounded during capture
and later became ill with malaria and reportedly died in NOVEMBER 1969
at a detention camp in the northern Tay Ninh Province/Cambodia area.
According to other U.S. prisoners, PFC Ray was probably buried in the
vicinity of this camp (WT 980900) by guards. PFC Ray's name appeared on
the list of captured Americans furnished by the Provisional
Revolutionary Government in January 1973, stating that he had died while
in captivity of 6 November 1969.
Data pertaining to this individual are as follows:
(handwritten
in the left Name: Ray, James Michael
margin)
Rank: PFC, U.S. Army
this is what
General Vessey Date of Birth: 10 November 1949
took to Vietnam
to account for Race: Caucasian
Jim.
He's asking for Height: 1.72 meters
a DEAD body
Weight: 58.8 kilos (handwritten in right margin)
Hair: Blond General Vessey Completely
disregards the true statements
Eyes: Hazel of EX POWS
____________________________________________________________________
(Emblem)
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of
Congress July 9, 1918, has awarded the Silver Star posthumously to
STAFF SERGEANT JAMES M. RAY, UNITED STATES ARMY
for gallantry in action:
Staff Sergeant James M. Ray is awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action against an armed enemy while
serving as a Prisoner of War in South Vietnam during the period July
1969. SERGEANT RAY DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF BY ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE FROM
AN ENEMY PRISON CAMP. He recognized that odds for success were slight
and if he was recaptured he would receive severe torture, long periods
of solitary confinement, and possible death by execution. Although he
was recaptured, he maintained strong conviction in the Code of Conduct.
In June 1969, Sergeant Ray was punished for violation of camp
regulations by being placed in double chains, one on each ankle. Then
in July 1969 while en route to the latrine, he attempted to escape by
assault- ing a guard. At that time, he had a chain locked to each ankle
and was carrying the excess chain in each hand. As he approached the
guard sitting on a stool in the guard hooch. he suddenly stopped,
dropped the chains, and hit the guard in the face with his fist,
knocking him from the stool to the ground. He then reached and grabbed
the guard's rifle and started to turn when he slipped and fell. As
Sergeant Ray fell to the ground, the additional guard who unlocked him
jumped on him, wrapping the chain around his neck and began beating him
with his fist. The guard who had been knocked to the ground got up and
started to kick and beat on Sergeant Ray. Then both guards wrapped
Sergeant Ray in the chains and locked them and then threw him into his
bunker. He was left over- night wrapped in the chains and the next day
he was again secured to his bunker with two chains, one attached to
each ankle. He was not allowed outside his bunker, and his rations were
cut to one meal a day. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, HE WAS REMOVED FROM THE CAMP
AND WAS NEVER SEEN AGAIN. This extreme gallantry exhibited by Sergeant
Ray was amply illustrated by the fact that so few prisoners ever tried
to escape, primarily due to the rigid security measures imposed by the
camp. This courageous escape attempt served more than to merely get him
out of the prison camp. More guards were required, and prisoner morale
soared. This act of gallantry, with recognition of the grave risk to
his own life, demonstrated a great devotion to duty and his country,
which reflected great creat upon himself and the United States Army.
(seal)
__________________________________________________________________________
(Emblem)
T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
TO ALL WHO SHALL SEE THESE PRESENTS GREETING
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AUTHORIZED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER, 24 AUGUST 1962
HAS AWARDED
TO
STAFF SERGEANT JAMES M. RAY, UNITED STATES ARMY
FOR
MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT
IN GROUND OPERATIONS AGAINST HOSTILE FORCES
IN SOUTHEAST ASIA FROM 18 MARCH 1968 TO 30 NOVEMBER 1969
GIVEN UNDER MY HAND IN THE CITY OF WASHINGTON
THIS 19TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 1974
United States of America
War Office
(seal)
(signed) (signed)
Verne L. Bowers Howard H. Callaway
Major General, USA Secretary of the Army
The Adjutnat General
_________________________________________________________________________
(Emblem)
T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A
TO ALL WHO SHALL SEE THESE PRESENTS, GREETING
THIS IS TO CERTIFY
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
HAS AWARDED THE
P U R P L E H E A R T
(FIRST OAK LEAF CLUSTER)
ESTABLISHED BY GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON
AT NEWBURGH, NEW YORK, AUGUST 7, 1782
TO
(handwritten
in the left
margin) STAFF SERGEANT JAMES M. RAY, UNITED STATES ARMY
FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED
Why changed IN ACTION
to
Cambodia? IN CAMBODIA ON 30 NOVEMBER 1969
GIVEN UNDER BY HAND IN THE CITY OF WASHINGTON
THIS 17TH DAY OF JANUARY 1974
(signed) (signed)
Verne L. Bowers Howard H. Callaway
Major General,USA Secretary of the Army
The Adjutant General (seal)
(handwritten on the bottom of this document)
Is it because we have no diplomatic relations with Cambodia and don't
have to account for him??
__________________________________________________________________________
(Emblem)
T H E U N I T E D S T A T ES O F A M E R I C A
TO ALL WHO SHALL SEE THESE PRESENTS,
GREETING
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AUTHORIZED BY ACT OF CONGRESS JULY 9, 1918
HAS AWARDED TO
STAFF SERGEANT
JAMES M. RAY, UNITED STATES ARMY
FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION IN VIETNAM DURING THE PERIOD JULY 1969(note date)
GIVEN UNDER MY HAND IN THE CITY OF WASHINGTON
THIS 17TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 1974 (signed)
(signed) Verne L. Bowers Howard H. Callaway
Major General, USA Secretary of the Army
The Adjutant General
(seal)
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