Taken by Monica Baan August 3, 2016 |
Taken by Marty Morgan August 4, 2016 |
Taken by Sean Claxton August 9, 2016 |
Update 3 (June
4, 2017)
Mrs. Paula Freeman Guidry doesn’t have legal
standing in this matter after she remarried in 1947.
Mr. Ray Sr. wanted his son’s body brought home
and this was after her marriage to Guidry. Sgt Ray’s
mother died in 1941 and Mr. Ray just wanted Ray Jr.
back home with his mother in the family plot. Ray
had the law on his side in 1949 and someone in his
hometown blocked that. Think about that, a father
wants to bring his son home and an unnamed person
blocked that.
The
ABMC can’t change a headstone that was approved
by the Army and signed off by your unit (the ABMC)
unless the headstone is incorrect, which means the
13 June 1944 headstone has to be returned to it’s
rightful place in the Normandy American Cemetery.
Guidry wrote a letter to the ABMC a day before
anyone knew about the corrected headstone
(August 4 at 3:52pm on Facebook). This proves that
it was the ABMC who instigated this illegal
activity. Since Guidry wrote this letter on August
3, 2016 and the information wasn’t posted anywhere
until August 4, 2016 that means that someone at the
ABMC had to contact Guidry.
Here is a breakdown of the
letter sent to the ABMC from Guidry.
Highlighted in green it shows the lack of comprehension
of the difference between letters and messaging via Facebook.
Attached are the messages sent via FB to Ms. Guidry.
I didn't claim anything, the Army had decided to
change the headstone due to the overwhelming
documentation. As you can see she says without
her consent or knowledge. Only two problems
with that; one she has no legal authority as
mentioned above and two she knew the headstone was
being changed. That is even mentioned earlier
in her own letter.
Guidry then goes on highlighted
in red talking of Ken Russell and what had happened
to Sgt Ray. Only problem is that Russell
most likely wasn't in St. Mere Eglise at that time and even if he
had been there, he wasn't a doctor. The other
part she mentions is from Spencer Wurst's book
stating that Ray died on 6 June 1944. I knew
him and I wish I had know about that part of his
book. Mr. Wurst said that he buried Sgt Ray
but he was wrong as the documentation shows clearly
who the
7 men who were buried at the St Mere Eglise Civilian
Cemetery.
Guidry knew that Sgt Ray had died much later in June
1944. That is from a letter sent to her in October
of 1944 from John Steele page 309-310. In Guidry’s
own book Treasures in My Own Heart it states very
clearly that Ray didn’t die on either 6 or 7 June
1944. Steele said that the men from Co F knew the
real date of death. The Ray family knew when he died
as well. Sgt Ray’s own brother had gone to Company
F’s area in England and was told the details of Sgt
Ray’s death.
It was the Army who told the ABMC to
correct the headstone for Sgt Ray. There are very
detailed reports showing how and when Sgt Ray died.
In the original article http://www.airborneinnormandy.com/ray_file.htm
it shows clearly when he died.
Here’s a term for everyone involved in this
fiasco;
Misrepresentation: to
give a false or misleading representation, usually
with intent to deceive or be unfair <misrepresented
the facts>.
Misrepresentation: to give a false or misleading
representation applies to Mrs. Guidry’s letter in
that she signs Paula Ray Guidry. She has never
signed her name that way before it looks like. Look
at the top of the letter.
She signs her
name Paula F. Guidry when autographing her books
and on Facebook as well.
&
Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001 makes
it a crime to 1) knowingly and willfully; 2) make
any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent
statement or representation; 3) in any matter within
the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative or
judicial branch of the United States.
Guidry made a materially false, fictitious or
fraudulent statement by signing her name Ray for her
middle name for one reason to curry favors with the
ABMC. The ABMC knew that Guidry was not related in
any legal sense to Sgt Ray after 1947. That means
that both the ABMC and Guidry have violated Title 18
listed above it appears. None of this even
really matters as the ABMC and no legal authority to
change a headstone.
Will this madness never end? To dishonor a WWII man
when died is beyond comprehension.
The other thing that bothers me greatly is the
attitude of the people in Normandy during the first
week of June every year. They say they are there to
honor the men who fought and died there yet all you
see are pictures and posts bragging about who they
know and all the fetes that are going on there.
There are a few exceptions but only a few.
Sgt Ray meanwhile lies dishonored by the ABMC. The
people in Normandy at the festivities (and that’s
what these are, not a remembrance but a party) could
speak up about this but don’t. They suck up to the
ABMC which I don’t get at all. The ABMC spends
$37,000,000 million in pay for their employees and
they mow the lawn and pay employees 6 figures to do
that.
People at the festivities in Normandy don’t care
about the men buried there; they are just there for
the parties.
June 4, 2017
BN Siddall
Research/Genealogy
Update 2: The ABMC has
dishonored a WWII Soldier buried in the Normandy
American Cemetery. 6 days after Sgt Ray’s new
headstone with the correct date of death (13 June
1944) someone at the ABMC in the Virginia
headquarters ordered Sgt Ray’s headstone torn down
and replaced it with the incorrect date of 7 June
1944.
The workers at the Normandy
American Cemetery stated this was done at the behest
of Mr. Nosal. Mr. Nosal is the one who signed off
on the correct headstone date back in November last
year 2015. I find it hard to believe that the Chief
External Affairs had the power to do this. It took
9 months to have the new headstone installed but yet
only 6 days to tear it down. Nothing works that
fast in the federal government, nothing.
An email was sent to the
Secretary of the ABMC Mr. Max Cleland two days ago
August 15, 2016, about this insult to a WWII Soldier
who is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery.
There is no response from Mr. Cleland yet.
Here is a link to the email that was sent 2 days ago.
An email from Mr. Nosal came
yesterday from a request I had made last Wednesday,
August 10, 2016. In the email, he stated that
Sgt Ray's headstone was torn down at the request of
Sgt Ray's widow. I find that hard to believe
as I had spoken with Mrs. Guidry's daughter to let
her know that the headstone was being updated to the
correct date. Mrs. Guidry herself has stated
she knew of the change months ago.
Yet the ABMC just days after
the new headstone was put into place that she now
felt differently? Even if that was true it wouldn't
have allowed the old headstone to be put back up.
Once a widow or widower remarries they no longer
have a legal standing in an issue like this.
Yesterday (August 16, 2016) Sgt
Ray's sister was told that her brother's new
headstone had been torn down by the ABMC and the old
headstone had gone back up. Mrs. Carlsen was very
surprised that this had occurred. Mrs. Carlsen said
she always believed he didn't die right away in
Normandy. Her father John Ray Sr. received letters
from Pfc Steele who saw Sgt Ray at the Field
Hospital on Utah Beach it seems. Steele always
assumed that Sgt Ray went back to England like
Steele had done on 10 June 1944.
The ABMC did not follow their
own protocol in removing this headstone. The real
question is who ordered the removal of the correct
headstone less that a week later? Who has that kind
of power?
Brian Siddall
August 17, 2016
_________________________________________________
Update 1: The ABMC
has agreed to change the date of death for Sgt Ray
from June 7, 1944 to his correct date of death June
13, 1944. Dealing with the ABMC is like
pulling teeth. It is sad that this
organization throws up roadblocks at every turn.
__________________________________________________
Original Article
Sgt John P. Ray of Co F of the
505th Prcht Inf was wounded in
the hip and buttock[1]
June 6, 1944 and died at 10:00 am June 13, 1944.[2]
He was buried at the 607 Macon Cemetery[3].
Graves Form #1 had all of the correct information
about his death including Time and reason for
death which was Gangrene.[4]
The 607th Graves Registration Company who
buried Sgt Ray also had the correct date June 13,
1944.[5]
The EMT (Emergency Medical Tag) was transcribed in
1970 to the SGO (Office of the Surgeon) Report[6].
It also had Sgt Ray as dying after 8 days which was
June 13, 1944.
The 607 Macon Cemetery was just
off of Utah Beach. The Cemetery was closed on June
18, 1944. The bodies were moved from there to Ste.
Mère-Eglise No. 2 on June 27, 1944. The time of
date had been changed to June 6, 1944 which was
wrong. They also had him as Killed in Action which
was wrong as well.[7]
The MR (Morning Reports)[8]
for Co F of the 505th Prcht Inf of August
29, 1944 had the correct date as well for the death
of Sgt Ray, June 13, 1944. Written on the MR for
that day it showed his date of wounds as being June
7, 1944 and his date of death as Jun 13, 1944. The
date of his would seem to be incorrect as EMT stated
he was at the Field Hospital for 8 days which would
match up with June 6, 1944.[9]
The next mistake was done in
Washington, D. C. when filling out the paperwork on September 8,
1944.[10]
When reading the Morning Report while filling out
this form they read that he was wounded on that day
(June 7, 1944) but didn’t read the next 2 lines
which showed his death as June 13, 1944.
Sgt Ray’s body was moved to the
Normandy American Cemetery on December 15, 1947.
The Disinterment Directive left the date of death
blank.[11]
At some point the ABMC (American Battle Monuments
Commission) looked at the Report of Death Form and
had the Headstone Date of Death as June 7, 1944. If
you look at the ABMC Website they still have him
listed as June 7, 1944.[12]
Sgt Ray’s date of death was
June 13, 1944 but because of a paperwork error on
one form (the Report of Death Form) it is listed
incorrectly.
I have contacted both R. Scott
Moore, PhD, Director, Field Programs at the US Army
Center of Military History and Robert J.
Dalessandro, Deputy Secretary, Headquarters
Operations at the ABMC about this issue.
The US Army Center of Military
History is loath to have a Headstone changed. The
ABMC the same and they look to the US Army Center of
Military History. I think I have found the
main reason the ABMC won't change the Headstones,
MONEY. It would talk about $150,000 to put up
new headstones through Europe for the 92 401st Gli
Inf men.
The reason I’ve updated Sgt
Ray’s death is because of a Post last night on Facebook. Someone spoke of a book that was written
by his wife Paula F. Guidry titled Treasures In My
Heart. A had never heard of the book before last
night. In one of the articles about the book Mrs.
Guidry said that she didn’t know about what had
happened to her husband Sgt Ray until she read the
book D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of
World War II by Stephen E. Ambrose.
I went and pulled down the book
and went to page 211 where Ken Russell a Co F man spoke of Sgt Ray. In the book Russell stated
that he saw Sgt Ray get shot in the gut and while
dying shot the German who had shot him in the gut.
The only problem with that is that Sgt Ray didn’t
die until June 13, 1944, not June 6, 1944. I then
went to the Endnotes of the book and it stated that
this information came from a Ron Drez interview with
Ken Russell.
This is the problem with just
taking the word of someone without doing fact
checking. Ambrose shouldn’t have put that into
the book. If you can’t prove your work it
shouldn’t be in a non-fiction book. Russell
was only in that area for a matter of seconds.
He assumed that Sgt Ray was dead when in fact he was
still very much alive at that point.
Ken Russell was part right
about what happened to Sgt Ray. He was shot
and in agony but it took 8 days to die not right
away. Sgt Ray’s wife Paula F. Guidry is under
the impression that her Husband died at Ste.
Mère-Eglise right after being shot. Since her
book is based on the 100’s of letters they wrote to
each other did he write to her from the Field Hospital? If not he
must have been in unimaginable pain not to
written a goodbye letter. Dying of Gangrene is a
horrible way to go, no matter what the original
wound.
History can be corrected[13] but it
is very time consuming work and even then some
people will look at all of the documentation and say
that can’t be true because I read something
different in a book. Just because Ambrose had it in
a book doesn’t mean it’s true. The source in this
case about Ray dying just after being shot is only
on the word of a fellow soldier, not the actual
documentation. Sgt Ray’s death was much worse than the
fictional account.
Brian N. Siddall
October 14, 2015
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