RAY, JOHNNIE LYNN

Name: Johnnie Lynn Ray
Rank/Branch: United States Army
Unit:
Date of Birth:
Home City of Record:
Date of Loss: 08 April 1972
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 112249 North  1061030 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno:

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews. 2003

REMARKS: 730212 RELEASED BY PRG

SOURCE: WE CAME HOME  copyright 1977
Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor
P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and
spelling errors).

JOHNNIE L. RAY
Captain - United States Army
Captured: April 8, 1972
Released: February 12, 1973

His captors questioned him about war protestors. He told them: "America is a
free country; they can do what they want." That stopped the captors.

Capt. Johnnie L. Ray was captured in a raid on a radio relay station on
Black Virgin mountain in Tay Ninh Province on April 8, 1972. He was wounded
in the leg by a grenade, but he was forced to walk for a week to a camp in
Cambodia. There he was put in a 4 x 6 foot cage with a chain locked around
his ankle. He was given penicillin for only one week. Much later his leg was
operated on. Not until October did his leg wound close. He was given a
meager diet and allowed to take a bath every two weeks.

Nevertheless, Captain Ray is able to describe his activities in prison, in
which he engaged to keep his mind alert, with verve and cleverness. "My
cage-mate and I threw a football back and forth - only it was an imaginary
football. Between the two cages was a guard shack. I think it got to the
guard after a while."

Born in 1947 in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, Captain Ray graduated from his
hometown high school and from Oklahoma State University in 1969 with a B.S.
in chemical engineering. At the university he was a member of Scabbard and
Blade, an honorary military organization. He entered the army on May 16,1969
and in December of 1971 was assigned as a member of an advisory team to Tay
Ninh Province. He has been decorated with the Silver Star, Purple Heart with
one oak leaf cluster, Vietnam Service Ribbon, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon,
National Defense Ribbon.

Now he resides with his wife, Dorothy, and their three children, Tammy, John
and Nikki in Fort Knox, Kentucky. He is at present assigned to the armor
officer advanced course at Fort Knox.

His wife feels very strongly that U.S. citizens must put pressure on the
North Vietnamese to tell what happend to the MlAs. She has spoken publicly
about this. "If you knew what it was like each day not knowing whether your
husband or son is alive, you could understand how I feel. If the public does
not stand behind these men now, then we are betraying America. It was
through public opinion that we got Johnnie home."

Captain and Mrs. Ray were remarried in a ceremony of special significance to
them. Their chaplain explained the symbolic meaning of their remarriage. "80th
of them said to me that the hand of God was back of this. God brought them
back together and they were anxious for God to bless their reunion."

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Johnnie Lynn Ray separated from the service in 1975 as a Captian. He
currently resides Wynnewood, OK.