Recieves D.S.C. and Silver Star same day
I worked with this man for over 30 years ad just discovered these facts
Ray Gonzales D.S.C. and Silver Star the same day
Ray had 5 brothers all in service. Army Navy, Air Force Marines,Airborne and his father was classified 1-A
Ray enlisted in paratrooper in 1944 when he was 18 years old. January 1945 he was sent as replacement to Europe and served with 80th AA, and 82nd Airborne before being assigned to 155 AA Abn,17th division. The war ended and volunteers were being sought for South Pacific with a 30 day furlough.. Ray had a bad case of jaundice and after 10 weeks in the hospital at Ft.Bragg he rejoined the 80th in New York and played football on the division team.. After his dis-charge he worked in auto plant in Detroit and played semi-pro football for the Windsor (Ontario,Canada) Rockets.
Hostilities broke out in Korea.. In 1950 Ray re-enlisted ,got his shots and clothing at Ft. Knox,Ky., given 19-day delay en route and then reported to Ft. Campbelll,Ky. He was assigned to G-Company 187th .It has been 5 years since he jumped, he now made 1 jump and was sent to Korea. While in Korea he received the DSC and Silver Star the same day.. The citation reads “Cpl. Ray Gonzales distinguised himself by extraordinary heroism in vicinity of Naigonggum,Korea.. In January 1951his patrol approached the village when large enemy force opened fire. Ray and four comrades were cut off from their main body of the patrol.. Before the enemy banzai the enemy threw two grenades. The first one landed about two feet from the BAR man, Ray said not to worry the pin was still half way in. The second one came in cooking,Ray yelled to the men to start shooting as soon as this one went off because the enemy was going to rush his group. Ray jumped up and was between the grenade and the BAR man, his name was Sullivan.The genade went off and the enemy came down the mountain. Ray felt the concussion behind him. He had to expose himself to see where they were coming from.. They were trying to get behind us so Ray yelled to the BAR man to the right, they were getting behind us. That kid was one hell of a Bar man, those suckers didn’t stand a chance he cut them right down. Ray received a head wound and his right elbow was shattered. Disreguarding his wounds he took command and deployed the men for effective fire on the enemy. When the enemy launched a “banzai†attact Ray firing his carbine with his left hand personally killed two of them. They repulsed attacts until dark. . Ray led them in a successful withdrawal. They had to go over steep snow covered mountains in sub-zero temperatures. Ray wounded helped carry another man wounded in the leg, and could not walk.. Ray, by his insistant demands that the group keep moving ,led them through the nights intense cold to arrive at company area at 0600 hours. All of his little group safely returned to the platoon head quarters.
Ray had been recommended for the Medal of Honor but the recommendation was downgraded somewhere a long the line.
