Raymond Ball (1894 - 1971)

Born 25 Jan 1894 in Glencoe, Payne County, Oklahoma

Ancestors

Died 10 Apr 1971 at age 77 in Hines, Cook County, Illinois

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Elizabeth James [send private message]

Biography

Raymond Ball served in the United States Army in World War II
Service started: 1942
Unit(s):
Service ended: 1945

Raymond Ball is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Army 1942-1945
Served in World War II

The battle of Okinawa occurred around April-June 1945. Operation Iceberg it's codenamed lasted for 82 days. [1]. It resulted in the largest casualties of World War II with over 100,000 Japanese casualties and 50,000 casualties for the Allies. During that time letters managed to get back home to loved ones. This is one such letter. My father’s (Fay) [2] ship was wreaked in the Solomon Sea. He was able to make it to a near by Solomon Island with the help of a dolphin. Eventually the Navy found him and took him back to Hawaii. Nearly 4,900 men killed and drowned [3]. Fay made it out alive. Fay is mentioned in the letter and has returned to Hawaii when the letter was written. Meanwhile Ivan was trying to get proof of life that Raymond Ball was still alive while just behind the battle front. Not without hope Ivan writes a letter to home. A Letter to Back Home, From Ivan [4]. (During The Battle of Okinawa (1945). Trying to get proof of life for relative Raymond Ball.)[5]

Okinawa Dear Mom and All; Well I just sent a letter to Jane so I will try to get one off to you all on the same mail. I've been trying to catch up with Bob Ball. Seen a guy from his outfit and found how to contact him. He is not so close but may get to see me sometime sent him a letter telling him my location last night. Tried to find Fay all the way out but while I was still on the boat I got a letter from Jennie he was home. I want only one more boat ride then boats and me we are through. I sure want no pleasure boat rides. My word will be "See America First" and I'm never going to get through seeing America. I'm sure glad the war is turning out the way it is we will sure be home in 11 and I've hopes of sooner. I'm sending you a picture I found in a Bombed house. The roof was all caved in and every thing all broken up. But they have hardly any furniture in the house at all. No beds just sleeping mats. No chairs, no table except a tea table about knee high a few had radios. No stoves except a fire place, where the cooking was did the tools were all hand made. From plants to hoes, small garden patches of about 20'x20' of sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and sugar cane. Pair tomatoes are ripe now, so are the cucumbers. I'm where Bob came through. I found a insignia of his unit on the ground here, though he is quite sways from here now. You remember the letter he wrote to Ella describing how it was here. Well by for now, write soon. A flower I found here, there is a lot of them.

Ivan[6]

Sources

United States Census Records

Military records for WWI

Death Certificate

Citing this Record "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMGK-MW7 : accessed 13 August 2017), Ramond B Ball in household of Moses Ball, Auburn Township Autry & Sumner towns, Noble, Oklahoma Territory, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 147, sheet 15B, family 306, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,340.

Citing this Record "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ML75-Q4S : accessed 13 August 2017), Raymond Ball in household of Moses T Ball, Hackberry, Texas, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 251, sheet 2A, family 48, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1273; FHL microfilm 1,375,286.

Citing this Record "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHFF-9V6 : accessed 13 August 2017), Raymond D Ball, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 236, sheet 56A, line 35, family 599, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1203; FHL microfilm 2,340,938.

Citing this Record "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K77V-KPS : accessed 13 August 2017), Raymond Ball, Nottinghill Township, Ozark, Ozark, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 77-13, sheet 1B, line 69, family 17, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2135.

Citing this Record "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3RL-ZV4 : 12 December 2014), Raymond David Ball, 1917-1918; citing Ozark County, Missouri, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,683,495.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "International Genealogical Index (IGI)," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:1:MK9V-X26 : accessed 2017-08-13), entry for Raymond David Ball.

Wikipedia [7]

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 24 April 2020), memorial page for Pvt Raymond D. Ball (25 Jan 1894–10 Apr 1971), Find a Grave Memorial no. 67083961, citing Fairlawn Burial Park, Hutchinson, Reno County, Kansas, USA ; Maintained by R & S (contributor 46634910) .