Ray McGee's medals

It was an honor last week to add World War II service medals earned by the late Raymond A. McGee to the Lucas County Historical Society collection, courtesy of his extended family. 

Mr. McGee died, age 75, in Chariton on July 16, 1999, of cancer. He had never married, but if you know anything at all about the multitudinous McGees you'll know that his extended family is very large indeed.

These are the medals, arranged by precedent from upper left --- Bronze Star Medal, Prisoner of War Medal, Good Conduct Medal, (bottom row from left) American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with campaign star, and World War II Victory Medal. The collection also includes a Combat Infantryman Badge and Honorable Service Pin.

+++

Mr. McGee, one of 13 children of John S. and Leora McGee, was born Sept. 14, 1924, near Melrose,  arriving some two years after his nearest brother, Michael. The family moved to a farm near Chariton when both the boys were young.

According to a story recorded in Michael's obituary, published upon his death at age 89 on Aug. 23, 2011, Mike was drafted into the U.S. Army on Jan. 28, 1943. His brother Ray, then 18, accompanied Mike when he went to take his physical, Not wanting his brother to go alone, Ray volunteered and went, too.  Ray's service record shows that he was inducted into the U.S. Army on Feb. 4, 1943.

The brothers completed boot camp at Camp Howze, Texas, together, but were separated after that. Mike served on Iwo Jima and Okinawa among other places while Ray was deployed to Europe.

According to Ray's service record, he was deployed overseas on May 13, 1944, and served there with the Anti-tank Company, 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division.

On Dec. 20, 1944, Ray was captured in combat in Luxembourg. His family was informed during mid-January, 1945, that he was missing in action, but learned during early March that he had been located in a German prisoner of war camp. That camp was liberated on April 2.

Ray returned to the United States during early May and arrived in Chariton soon after to spend a 60-day furlough with his family before reporting for active duty again. He was the first former prisoner of war to return to Lucas County, according to newspaper reports.

After the war, Ray returned to Lucas County to live for a time, but by 1949 had relocated to California where he lived and worked for the next 40 years, returning to live in Chariton about 1989.

Jerry McGee, the next to the youngest of Ray McGee's siblings, died at age 87 on Nov. 20, 2018, and his obituary contained another story about his elder brother. Jerry had been wounded in combat while serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was discharged in 1953. "His brother Ray drove across the country to bring him home, a loving gesture that Jerry always treasured," according to the obituary.

Raymond and Michael McGee, the brothers who went away to war together, are buried together in the Chariton Cemetery, where they share a tombstone. Like Raymond, Michael never married.

+++

Note: No World War II veteran returned home at war's end with a complete collection of service awards. Many, if not most, never claimed those that they were entitled to. Ray McGee received this collection later in his lifetime. Of these six, only Good Conduct Medals were manufactured during the war. He would have received a Combat Infantryman Badge and, immediately after the war, this qualified him for the Bronze Star Medal.  The Prisoner of War Medal was not introduced until 1985. The two campaign medals and the victory medal were first manufactured after the war ended.

Ray (left) and Mike McGee