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Saturday, June 15, 2019

Fellow Doctors Remember Dr. John Edwin Ray Jr., a Young Colleague Who Died at the Front Sept. 29, 1918

When the Medical Society of the State of North Carolina held their annual meeting in April, 1919, they offered eulogies for fellow doctors who had fallen during the past year. the following eulogy for Dr. John Edwin Ray Jr. is from the book Transactions: Medical Society of the State of N.C., 1919 which is online at Books.google.com. Dr. Ray died of injuries received at an aid station in the Front at Bellecourt.


John Edwin Ray Jr.

John Edwin Ray Jr., second son of John E. and Finie Carter Ray, was born at Hendersonville, N.C., on November 29, 1888. His boyhood education was received at the public schools of Raleigh and the Raleigh Male Academy. He graduated at Wake Forest College with the degree of A.B. in 1908; and in September 1909, entered the Medical Department of the University of North Carolina, took the two years course there and then went to Cornell Medical School, from which he was graduated with high honors in June, 1912.

In a competitive examination of graduates of the leading medical schools of the country, he won first honors and his choice of internship at Bellevue Hospital, New York city. He spent two years in that institution, during the last six months of which he was house surgeon—a most valuable experience and training for his future career.

In 1914 he returned to Raleigh for the practice of his profession, specializing in general surgery, and quickly won the confidence, respect, and esteem of his professional brethren and the general public. He was a member of the Raleigh Academy of Medicine, the Wake County Medical Society, and the State Medical Society, and later was appointed as visiting surgeon on the staff of Rex Hospital.

In May, 1916, he received his commission as first lieutenant of the North Carolina National Guard and six weeks later reported for active duty, going with his organization to Camp Glenn, N.C. In the following September they were ordered to the Mexican border, being quartered at Camp Stewart, Texas. While there he acted as chief surgeon in the hospital established at Fort Bliss. He was transferred to the Second North Carolina Regiment, which was not mustered out of service but was stationed in eastern Carolina, with headquarters at New Bern. In August, 1917, they were sent to Camp Sevier, Greenville, S.C., where they became the 119th U.S. Infantry. In the following spring (1918) he was made captain and was transferred to the 105th Field Signal Battalion, with which organization he sailed for France last May. Later, at his own request, he was transferred to his old unit, the 119th Infantry, and it was while serving his men on the old Hindenburg line that he was wounded, September 30th, by a fragment of high explosive shell which struck him on the region of the upper thigh. He was carried to the 74th General Hospital, A.E.F., at Trouville, France, and passed away five days later on Saturday, October 5, 1918, at 4:20 a.m. He was buried at Trouville on Monday, October 7th, with full military honors.

The following citation for acts of meritorious conduct described was published to the command:

John E. Ray, Medical Corps 119th Infantry

During the attack on the Bellecourt area, 29th September, 1918, Captain Ray administered first aid to many of our own and the enemy wounded, helpless under heavy shell and machine gun fire. He established his aid post in the front line trench and maintained it with the front line troops on their advance. It was during this time that he was severely wounded and died a few hours later. His exceptional bravery and devotion to duty are worthy of utmost praise.

Captain Ray was awarded, posthumously, the British military medal and the Distinguished Service Cross. He was descended from a line of noble ancestors, who fought to establish the freedom of our own country. Modest, manly, unswerving in devotion to his high ideal of duty, he made the supreme sacrifice for his country and laid down his life in the cause of humanity and righteousness. To his family and friends and to this Society of his professional brethren he left the high heritage of unselfish courage and untarnished name. He sleeps in France among the heroic thousands of his countrymen who fell, as he fell, fighting for the triumph of right against might.

Let us not mourn for him but stand erect with uplifted head when we speak his name, and a smile of pride for the manly part he bore.

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