Please read bio concerning his remains being buried in 2 separate cemeteries and having a cenotaph.
2nd Lt. Cooley was the son of Dillard William and Ruby Clara Cooley. Raymond had lived most of his life in the Texarkana, Arkansas, area. He married Mary Juanita "Nita" Boddie on December 19, 1942 and they lived in the Texarkana area. He was sent overseas in December of 1943. On April 16, 1944, a B-24 Liberator airplane on which he was the pilot, called the "Here Tis", was returning to the aerodrome at Nadzab, New Guinea, after bombing enemy targets near Hollandia. The aircraft was altering course due to bad weather and was proceeding to the aerodrome at Saidor, but it went down due to bad weather. The remains of the crew were discovered in 2001 and his remains were identified using DNA in 2007. Among the items found at the crash site was the wedding ring Nita gave Ray, inscribed "Ray From Nita 12-19-42". Ray is part of a cenotaph at Arlington National Cemetery where his crewmates are buried. His name is also inscribed on The Tablets of The Missing at ABMC Cemetery. He was laid to rest at East Memorial Gardens in Texarkana, Arkansas in September 2007. Nita gave birth to their only child, a daughter Diana Raye, a few months after Ray's airplane went down. Nita went on to marry William L. Jones (1922-1993). Survivors in 2007 include his wife, Nita Boddie Cooley Jones of Texarkana; one daughter and son-in-law, David and Diana James of Texarkana; three granddaughters and grandsons-in-law, Shanna and Larry Killian of Cherokee Village, Arkansas, Shelly and Kyle Moss of Bentonville, Arkansas, and Stacy and Ben Mayo of Texarkana; four great-grandchildren; and a number of other relatives. [Original biography written by Sue]
2nd Lt. Cooley was the son of Dillard William and Ruby Clara Cooley. Raymond had lived most of his life in the Texarkana, Arkansas, area. He married Mary Juanita "Nita" Boddie on December 19, 1942 and they lived in the Texarkana area. He was sent overseas in December of 1943. On April 16, 1944, a B-24 Liberator airplane on which he was the pilot, called the "Here Tis", was returning to the aerodrome at Nadzab, New Guinea, after bombing enemy targets near Hollandia. The aircraft was altering course due to bad weather and was proceeding to the aerodrome at Saidor, but it went down due to bad weather. The remains of the crew were discovered in 2001 and his remains were identified using DNA in 2007. Among the items found at the crash site was the wedding ring Nita gave Ray, inscribed "Ray From Nita 12-19-42". Ray is part of a cenotaph at Arlington National Cemetery where his crewmates are buried. His name is also inscribed on The Tablets of The Missing at ABMC Cemetery. He was laid to rest at East Memorial Gardens in Texarkana, Arkansas in September 2007. Nita gave birth to their only child, a daughter Diana Raye, a few months after Ray's airplane went down. Nita went on to marry William L. Jones (1922-1993). Survivors in 2007 include his wife, Nita Boddie Cooley Jones of Texarkana; one daughter and son-in-law, David and Diana James of Texarkana; three granddaughters and grandsons-in-law, Shanna and Larry Killian of Cherokee Village, Arkansas, Shelly and Kyle Moss of Bentonville, Arkansas, and Stacy and Ben Mayo of Texarkana; four great-grandchildren; and a number of other relatives. [Original biography written by Sue]
Please read bio concerning his remains being buried in 2 separate cemeteries and having a cenotaph.
2nd Lt. Cooley was the son of Dillard William and Ruby Clara Cooley. Raymond had lived most of his life in the Texarkana, Arkansas, area. He married Mary Juanita "Nita" Boddie on December 19, 1942 and they lived in the Texarkana area. He was sent overseas in December of 1943. On April 16, 1944, a B-24 Liberator airplane on which he was the pilot, called the "Here Tis", was returning to the aerodrome at Nadzab, New Guinea, after bombing enemy targets near Hollandia. The aircraft was altering course due to bad weather and was proceeding to the aerodrome at Saidor, but it went down due to bad weather. The remains of the crew were discovered in 2001 and his remains were identified using DNA in 2007. Among the items found at the crash site was the wedding ring Nita gave Ray, inscribed "Ray From Nita 12-19-42". Ray is part of a cenotaph at Arlington National Cemetery where his crewmates are buried. His name is also inscribed on The Tablets of The Missing at ABMC Cemetery. He was laid to rest at East Memorial Gardens in Texarkana, Arkansas in September 2007. Nita gave birth to their only child, a daughter Diana Raye, a few months after Ray's airplane went down. Nita went on to marry William L. Jones (1922-1993). Survivors in 2007 include his wife, Nita Boddie Cooley Jones of Texarkana; one daughter and son-in-law, David and Diana James of Texarkana; three granddaughters and grandsons-in-law, Shanna and Larry Killian of Cherokee Village, Arkansas, Shelly and Kyle Moss of Bentonville, Arkansas, and Stacy and Ben Mayo of Texarkana; four great-grandchildren; and a number of other relatives. [Original biography written by Sue]
2nd Lt. Cooley was the son of Dillard William and Ruby Clara Cooley. Raymond had lived most of his life in the Texarkana, Arkansas, area. He married Mary Juanita "Nita" Boddie on December 19, 1942 and they lived in the Texarkana area. He was sent overseas in December of 1943. On April 16, 1944, a B-24 Liberator airplane on which he was the pilot, called the "Here Tis", was returning to the aerodrome at Nadzab, New Guinea, after bombing enemy targets near Hollandia. The aircraft was altering course due to bad weather and was proceeding to the aerodrome at Saidor, but it went down due to bad weather. The remains of the crew were discovered in 2001 and his remains were identified using DNA in 2007. Among the items found at the crash site was the wedding ring Nita gave Ray, inscribed "Ray From Nita 12-19-42". Ray is part of a cenotaph at Arlington National Cemetery where his crewmates are buried. His name is also inscribed on The Tablets of The Missing at ABMC Cemetery. He was laid to rest at East Memorial Gardens in Texarkana, Arkansas in September 2007. Nita gave birth to their only child, a daughter Diana Raye, a few months after Ray's airplane went down. Nita went on to marry William L. Jones (1922-1993). Survivors in 2007 include his wife, Nita Boddie Cooley Jones of Texarkana; one daughter and son-in-law, David and Diana James of Texarkana; three granddaughters and grandsons-in-law, Shanna and Larry Killian of Cherokee Village, Arkansas, Shelly and Kyle Moss of Bentonville, Arkansas, and Stacy and Ben Mayo of Texarkana; four great-grandchildren; and a number of other relatives. [Original biography written by Sue]
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2LT, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
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