8-5-06 Webmasters Note: Ray died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1966, at the age of 49. John Ross, Ray's step-son, has provided us with over 300 Photos chronicling the 2 year vovage of LST 920.
Ray has acquired a bit of fame on this web site due to the great photo of him over the side in the bos'n chair, freeing the snarled anchor chain with an acetylene torch. I'd like to quote a homage from an email by Don Reed. “Ray was one of LST 920's crown jewels. I remember him as being solid, quiet, respectful and extra dependable, and no limit on what he was able to do. Of the enlisted crew of 104 that formed the initial crew, he was one of only 18 that came aboard with a petty officer rating, as Shipfitter Third Class. In his year and a half on the ship, he had risen two levels to SF First, which is unusually quick promotion. I know his abilities had won the Captain's favor.
The ship was built at the shipyard without much weather protection for those in the conn, above the wheelhouse, where the officer of the deck had control of the ship while on watch underway. Ray devised some weather resistant sheltering for the conn, and earned the gratitude of the officers.”
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| Another photo of Ray Willis dedicated to son Robert |
