David R. Ray

David Robert Ray
David R. Ray as a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman
Born	(1945-02-14)February 14, 1945 McMinnville, Tennessee
Died	March 19, 1969(1969-03-19) (aged 24) Quảng Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1966–1969
Rank	Hospital Corpsman Second Class
Unit	Battery D, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines
Battles/wars	Vietnam War †
Awards	Medal of Honor Purple Heart Medal Combat Action Ribbon

David Robert "Bobby" Ray (February 14, 1945 – March 19, 1969) was a United States Navy hospital corpsman second class who was killed in action during the Vietnam War while assigned to an artillery battery of the United States Marine Corps. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions above and beyond the call of duty on March 19, 1969.

Ray was born on February 14, 1945 to David F. and Donnie M. Ray of McMinnville, Tennessee. He graduated from City High School in McMinnville in 1963. He was a University of Tennessee Alumni Scholarship winner and attended classes at the Knoxville campus from 1963 to 1966. He also received an associate in arts degree in 1965 from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. A memorial to Ray was placed on the Cumberland campus in 2003 in honor of his service and sacrifice.

Ray enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Nashville, Tennessee on March 28, 1966 and reported to Recruit Training Command, Naval Training Center, San Diego, California. Afterwards, he attended the former Naval Hospital Corps School in San Diego and became a hospital corpsman and promoted to hospitalman on June 20. His first assignment as a corpsman was aboard the USS Haven where he was promoted to hospital corpsman third class on April 16, 1967. In December, following his tour on the hospital ship, he was assigned to the former U.S. Naval Hospital in Long Beach, California, where he was promoted to hospital corpsman second class.