Corporal Robert Lee Bray

Cpl. Robert Lee Bray, a Ross County resident who enlisted in the United States Army on November 11, 1948 is coming home to Ross County. PFC Robert Lee Bray was reported as Missing in Action on Thursday, July 20, 1950 in the defense of Taejon, in the Republic of Korea. He was eighteen years old. He would continue to be listed as Missing in Action until December 31, 1953. At that time the Adjutant General issued Pfc Bray a presumptive finding of death and issued him a backdated promotion to the grade of Corporal effective May 1, 1953. The Adjutant General wrote a letter to Cpl. Bray’s mother notifying her of these actions on December 31, 1953.

Until recently, Cpl. Bray was an unidentified casualty of this battle. In August of 2018, the Department of Defense approved a plan to disinter all 652 Korean War Unknowns from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Cpl. Bray was recently identified by the Department of Defense.  The Department of the Army will be Repatriating Cpl. Bray with full military Honors.

Cpl. Bray was born November 6, 1931 in Ross County the son of the late James Bray and Linda Dale (Hamlin) Ford. He is survived by a sister, Cleo Jones and family and a brother, Albert Bray and family. In addition to his parents Cpl. Bray was preceded in death by two brothers, James and Lewis Bray.

On Monday November 4, 2019 Cpl. Bray will be brought home to Ross County by a motor escort to the SMITH-MOORE-EBRIGHT FUNERAL HOME of Bainbridge with the assistance from several law enforcement agencies and the Patriot Guard Riders. 

On Wednesday November 6, 2019, Cpl. Robert Bray’s eighty-eighth birthday, there will be public calling hours from 9 am to 1 pm.  A brief service will be held at 1 pm officiated by a United States Army Chaplain. Following this service Cpl. Bray will be laid to rest in Bainbridge Cemetery with Full Military Honors accorded by the United States Army.