I I first met Ray in 1966 while we were both stationed at Merrell barracks in Nürnberg Germany.  we were both assigned to Aviation company, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

after leaving the military in 1967 I didn't see Ray for over 40 years until I tracked him down as well as others from Aviation company and invited them to my house for a week has a form of her Union. It was at that time that I realize how badly raised medical condition was, especially all his serious back problems that created him so much pain and misery over the last 20 years of his life.

Ray was a very smart man and once I left Germany he became our commo chief a position that I had filled.

Are you passing is both sad and sweet in that looking back on the last 10 or 15 years of his life he suffered terribly and it was a blessing when I heard it is passing because that ended all his misery and sorrow that was associated with his injury and now he's with his God where there is no more pain and suffering.