Military Monday - Jack L Ray (1919-2010)

  Military Monday posts are made to honor those in my family tree who have served in the United States military.

Jack Lowery 'Larry' Ray

U.S. Army Air Corps, World War II

August 5, 1942 - aft. September 7, 1944

Published in the
The Dadeville Record
Dadeville, Alabama
Thursday, January 13, 1944, Page 1
Image courtesy of Newspapers.com

"S/SGT. JACK L. RAY

S/Sgt. Jack L. Ray and his two-year-old daughter, Julia, the photograph being made up his visit home last July, first visit during eleven months service.

His training days date from August 5, 1942, when he took boot training in the U. S. Army Air Corps at Miami Beach, Fla., then on to Madison, Wis., Roswell, New Mexico, and is now stationed at Midland, Texas, with the Third Commanding Squadron as chief control tower and radio operator.

His wife, the former Miss Ruby Florence Tapley, resides at Alexander City, an employee of Comer Mills.

S/Sgt. Ray writes: "I receive the Dadeville Record regularly and enjoy every line of it. Be sure to keep it coming. I enjoy the boy’s letters and read lots of them from some of my schoolmates with whom I would be out of touch if it were not for Boy’s column. I would like to see all my friends and especially Dowdle Willis. Please pass my address on: Serv. Det. 5th Ferrying Gp., Midland Air Port No. 2, Midland, Texas." Transcription by ChatGPT.

  Larry is the ex-husband of my 5th cousin, 1x removed, Ruby Florence Tapley (1923-2014). Our common ancestors are Joel Tapley and Mary Avent.

Postscript:  I don't know if Jack legally changed his middle name of Lowery to Larry, or if he just adopted the nickname Larry, but he used it after his military service and for the rest of his life.  Also, I don't know the exact date he left the military.  I used the date above because I found a news blurb published from that day, stating he was a radio operator in Midland, Texas. So I know he was still in the military at that date and time.