Native Sons Lost: Milledgeville's Vietnam War Dead
James Floyd Ray, known as Jim to his friends, was born on August 17, 1937 in Baldwin County, Georgia to Claude Elbert Ray and Annie Moye Ray. Major Claude Ray came to Milledgeville as a professor at Georgia Military College and met Annie Moye, who was a Physical Education faculty member at the Georgia State College for Women (Georgia College).
Jim followed in his father’s footsteps, deciding on a career in the military. In 1955 he received a congressional appointment to West Point, the United States Military Academy, as a member of the class of 1959. An ardent academic, Jim excelled in mind and military matters, graduating second in his class of 499. Jim had lived on the West Point campus for five years at the time of his appointment and was well versed in military traditions. He was active in extra-curricular activities, participating in the Debate Council Forum, Hop Committee, Public Information Detail, Cadet Chapel Choir, Glee Club, and as the chairman of the German Club. The West Point yearbook, The Howitzer, stated that Jim was “always willing to give somebody a helping hand, he will be remembered for his efficient capacity and sharp personal appearence.”
In his senior year, Jim was selected as a Rhodes Scholar, one of the most celebrated international fellowship awards. Each year, a small number of students is selected for their academic achievements as well as their character, commitment to others and the common good, and their potential leadership. Awardees are given the opportunity to study at the University of Oxford in England, receiving full financial support to pursue a degree. Jim would study philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford.
Left: Annie Moye as a faculty member at the Georgia College for Women (Georgia College), The Spectrum, 1934.University Archives Right: Claude Ray as a faculty member at the Georgia Millitary College, The Recall, circa 1938.Georgia Military College Recall collection
Class of 1959 arriving at the United States Military Academy , USMA, West Point, New York, July 1955.www.west-point.org
Upon Jim’s return from Oxford in 1961, he married Charlotte Walters. After attending the Infantry Officer Orientation Course and Ranger school at Fort Benning, Georgia, Jim began his infantry career as a platoon leader in 1st Battle Group, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington. Jim did not serve as a platoon leader for long. He quickly moved up the chain of command and was soon serving as the Assistant S3. The S3 office is responsible for every aspect of a battalion’s operational planning. Prior to Jim’s deployment to Vietnam, he had achieved the rank of captain and was serving as a company commander in the 4th Infantry Division.
Jim began his tour in Vietnam in early October 1964 as the number of American advisors was reaching its peak. Jim was assigned to Special Detachment 5891, HQ, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), pronounced "mac-vee", which was a joint service command under the Department of Defense. MACV had been created to increase assistance to South Vietnam and to command and control all advisory and assistance efforts in Vietnam. Jim participated in the failing effort to build up the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and allow South Vietnamese forces to sustain themselves without U.S. assistance.
“I was a platoon leader in Capt. Ray's company in the 4th ID. Sharp guy, finished second in class to Pete Dawkins. Future Chairman of Joint Chiefs for sure. A few weeks later he was dead. The nation's great loss.” - John Omicinski, 4th Infantry Division.www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/
Shortly after midnight on January 9, 1965, Jim was serving as an advisor on a patrol with an ARVN Regional Force (RF) unit on the outskirts of Saigon. RF’s were locally recruited full-time province-level defense forces that were effective in holding and defending civilian areas against Viet Cong (VC) Local Force units, thus allowing main ARVN units to battle the more organized VC main force units. At this time, the VC were encircling Saigon and threatening a large fuel storage facility in Nha Be, five miles from the city center. Security towers and barbed wire were insufficient deterrents to attack. Therefore a roving guard patrol system was initiated.
Jim, along with two other American advisors and an RF unit, were moving down a road in the dark when they were ambushed by a hidden machine gun crew. The patrol scrambled into the ditches on either side of the road. However, Jim was struck in the right shoulder and right lower back before he could reach cover. He died on the scene. Although several U.S. service members had been killed in terrorist attacks by that point in war, Jim was the first American combat death within the capital district of Saigon.
“Jim was always encouraging me to remain in the Army and one of the main reasons that he stated was that the competent officers needed to stay in to keep the idiots from taking over. What a man! I shed many tears when I learned of his death.” - Brendan Battle, West Point Class of 1961.www.westpointaog.org
Captain James Floyd Ray is interned at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Road San Antonio, Texas, Section W Site 2994. His location on the Vietnam Memorial is Panel 1E, Line 81.
Left to Right: Article on the ambush and death of Capt. James Floyd Ray, Stars and Stries, Pacific, January 13, 1965; Article on the ambush and death of Capt. James Floyd Ray, Stars and Stries, January 11, 1965; Funeral announcement for Capt. James Floyd Ray, San Antonio Express, San Antonio, Texas, January 17, 1965; and Grave of James Floyd Ray, Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, TX.www.findagrave.com
Rubbing from the Vietnam Memorial, Washington, D.C. - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.Georgia College Special Collections
Student research on James Floyd Ray, conducted by Matt Harnett, Sarah Jacobs, and Katie Roman, is available in the Georgia College Knowledge Box
