Hugh David Gray (1921 - 1948)

Born 17 Sep 1921 in Abilene, Taylor, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Died 27 Mar 1948 at age 26 in Tuscon, Pima, Arizona, United States

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SSgt Hugh Gray served in the United States Army in World War II
Service started: 1941
Unit(s):
Service ended: 1945

Biography

Hugh David Gray was born on September 17, 1921, in Abilene, Texas to Washington Gray and Harper Drury Edwards. ^[1]

At the time of the 1930 Census, Hugh was living with his mother, father, and seven siblings in a home they rented for $18 per month at 1333 Cypress Street in Abilene, Texas. The family does not have a radio set. Three of the eight children, including Hugh, are attending school while his oldest sibling, Petreta, is working as a telephone operator. His father is working as a house carpenter while his mother is at home with the house and children. ^[2]

Hugh's father passed away in 1939 following an illness of a couple years relating to a work injury, and we next see an 18-year-old Hugh on the 1940 Census. He is living with is widowed mother and four brothers at the family home at 534 North 14th Street in Abilene, Texas. Hugh indicates he is a new worker on this census, but is not yet employed. His mother is not working while his oldest brother, Wallace, is employed as a driver for the local taxi company. ^[3]

On December 27, 1941, Hugh enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in Dallas, Texas for the duration of the war plus six months. His civilian occupation is listed as carpenter indicating he'd likely found work since the 1940 Census listing him as an unemployed new worker. Hugh served in the 565th Army Air Force, Base Unit. ^{[4] [5]}

On November 06, 1945, Hugh was back at home in Abilene, Texas living with his sister Petreta, and brother-in-law, Ray Caudill at 763 Merchant Street. He indicates he is an unemployed veteran. ^[6]

Around October 1947, Hugh moved to Tucson, Arizona to stay with his sister, Trudy, and brother-in-law, Frank Carter, while Hugh trained at the Garvin School of Aeronautics located at the Tucson Municipal Airport. In late March 1948, Hugh's mother Harper came in from Abilene, Texas to visit Hugh, his sister, and brother-in-law. On the morning of Saturday, March 27, 1948, Hugh took his mother to a movie theatre before heading to the airport to log more flight hours for the afternoon. Taking off at 1:55 and holding only enough fuel in his Cesna 120 for about 3 hours, a search was launched after he failed to return by 5:25. The following morning, a search was continued and the wreckage spotted around 8:45 by Frank Holt, a co-operator of the flight school. Hugh's watch was stopped at 2:40 the previous afternoon, indicating his time of death was about 45 minutes after takeoff. Hugh's body was returned home to Abilene, Texas and was buried at the Abilene Municipal Cemetery. ^{[7] [8] [5]}

Sources

1. ↑ Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997
2. ↑ United States Census, 1930
3. ↑ United States Census, 1940
4. ↑ US WWII Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} United States Headstone Applications for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1949
6. ↑ Texas, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947
7. ↑ Arizona Daily Star, Mar 29, 1948
8. ↑ Arizona Deaths, 1870-1951

• "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997," (FamilySearch : 1 January 2015), Hugh Gray, 17 Sep 1921,Texas Department of State Health Services.
• "United States Census, 1930," (FamilySearch : accessed 10 March 2021), Hugh Gray in household of Washington Gray, Abilene, Taylor, Texas, United States; ED 1, sheet 4A, line 39, family 92.
• "United States Census, 1940," (FamilySearch : 7 December 2019), Hugh Grays in household of Harper E Grays, Abilene, Justice Precinct 1, Taylor, Texas, United States; ED 221-2, sheet 13B, line 59, family 293.
• "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," (FamilySearch : 5 December 2014), Hugh D Gray, enlisted 27 Dec 1941, Dallas, Texas, United States; "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases, College Park, Maryland.
• "Texas, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947", (FamilySearch : 3 March 2020), Hugh David Gray, 1945.
• "United States Headstone Applications for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1949", (FamilySearch : 8 March 2021), Hugh David Gray.
• "Arizona Deaths, 1870-1951," (FamilySearch : 10 March 2018), Hugh David Gray, 1948; Tucson, Pima, Arizona, Department of Library and Archives, Phoenix, Arizona.
• "GI Trainee Dies in Plane Crash," Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Arizona), p. 1. Mar 29, 1948. Accessed March 10, 2021. Available Online.
• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 16 March 2021), memorial page for Hugh David Gray (17 Sep 1921–27 Mar 1948), Find A Grave: Memorial #31738977, citing Abilene Municipal Cemetery, Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Sandra Brookshire Behne (contributor 46966324) .