Ray Cagle
NAME: Ray Cagle
ASN: 39376053
PLACE OF BIRTH: Ellensburg, WA
DATE OF BIRTH:
DATES OF SERVICE: 26 Feb 1941 -
UNIT ASSIGNED: F Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment
F Company, 2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment
CAMPAIGNS: Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Naples-Foggia
AWARDS: Parachutist Badge with three Combat Jump Stars, Combat Infantryman Badge, European, African, Middle-Eastern Campaign Medal with Arrowhead and two Stars, World War II Victory Medal
SUMMARY OF SERVICE:
26 Feb 1941 - Enlisted at Tacoma, WA - NARA Enlistment Record
| ARMY SERIAL NUMBER | 39376053 | 39376053 |
| NAME | CAGLE#RAY#C############# | CAGLE#RAY#C############# |
| RESIDENCE: STATE | 97 | WASHINGTON |
| RESIDENCE: COUNTY | 033 | KING |
| PLACE OF ENLISTMENT | 9784 | TACOMA WASHINGTON |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY | 26 | 26 |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH | 02 | 02 |
| DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR | 41 | 41 |
| GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION | PVT# | Private |
| GRADE: CODE | 8 | Private |
| BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION | BI# | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| BRANCH: CODE | 00 | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| FIELD USE AS DESIRED | # | # |
| TERM OF ENLISTMENT | 0 | Undefined Code |
| LONGEVITY | ### | ### |
| SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL | 0 | Civil Life |
| NATIVITY | 93 | MONTANA |
| YEAR OF BIRTH | 17 | 17 |
| RACE AND CITIZENSHIP | 1 | White, citizen |
| EDUCATION | 4 | 4 years of high school |
| CIVILIAN OCCUPATION | 525 | Carpenters |
| MARITAL STATUS | 6 | Single, without dependents |
| COMPONENT OF THE ARMY | 7 | Selectees (Enlisted Men) |
| CARD NUMBER | # | # |
| BOX NUMBER | 1425 | 1425 |
| FILM REEL NUMBER | 6.191 | 6.191 |
08 Nov 1942 - Sgt. Ray Cagle, ASN: 39376053, Unit: F Co 2nd Bn 509th PIR, Howntown: Ellensburg, WA, Operation VILLAN (TORCH) Plane: 6 Seat: 14 Combat Weight: 270 lbs.
15 Sep 1943 - Captured near Avellino, Italy sent to Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
| SERIAL NUMBER | 39376053 | 39376053 |
| NAME | CAGLE RAY C | CAGLE RAY C |
| GRADE, ALPHA | SGT | Sergeant |
| GRADE CODE | 5 | Captain or Asst. superintendent of nurses or Asst. director of nurses or Chief dietitian or Chief physical therapy aides or Sergeant or Technician 4th Grade or Lieutenant or Petty Officer, 3rd Class |
| SERVICE CODE | 1 | ARMY |
| ARM OR SERVICE | INF | Infantry |
| ARM OR SERVICE CODE | 10 | INF: INFANTRY |
| DATE REPORT: DAY (DD) | 15 | 15 |
| DATE REPORT: MONTH (MM) | 09 | 09 |
| DATE REPORT: YEAR (Y) | 3 | 1943 |
| RACIAL GROUP CODE | 1 | WHITE |
| STATE OF RESIDENCE | 97 | Washington |
| TYPE OF ORGANIZATION | 160 | Parachute Infantry |
| PARENT UNIT NUMBER | 0509 | 0509 |
| PARENT UNIT TYPE | 06 | Group/Regiment/Commands/System |
| AREA | 98 | North African Theatre: Italy |
| LATEST REPORT DATE: DAY (DD) | 03 | 03 |
| LATEST REPORT DATE: MONTH (MM) | 07 | 07 |
| LATEST REPORT DATE: YEAR (Y) | 5 | 1945 |
| SOURCE OF REPORT | 1 | Individual has been reported through sources considered official. |
| STATUS | 8 | Returned to Military Control, Liberated or Repatriated |
| DETAINING POWER | 1 | GERMANY |
| CAMP | 035 | Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12 |
| REP | ||
| POW TRANSPORT SHIPS |
Sgt Ray Cagle 509th was captured during the invasion of Salerno. He was demolitions and jumped behind enemy lines and was only able to find a couple of guys. His HQ was KIA in the drop. He and another soldier spent time harassing the Germans. They stayed up in a house in the woods with a couple who owned the house. When the couple who lived there failed to return from town they went down the road and waited in the woods off to the side of the road. His buddy was hidden across the road in the woods when Germans came up to check the house. He told me the loudest sound of the war (this coming from a man who blew up bridges and ammo dumps in North Africa) was when, as the Germans approached, the drum on his Thompson fell off and hit him in the boot. "It was like a base drum going off". Picking up the drum he could not re-attach it nor warn his buddy across the road or the Germans would hear. He waited and hoped his partner would not start firing as the Germans passed. They escaped.
He was captured when he set his Thompson against a tree and walked to a hedge. Suddenly German voices approached from the direction he had left his gun. He considered going back for his gun but thought better of it and dove over the hedge away from the voices only to land at the feet of a German soldier who quickly covered him and took him prisoner.
He mentioned a sadistic guard who would click a pistol pointed to his head. He explained how he could not eat burnt toast that had been scraped anymore because he had too much of it in camp and it left a metal taste he couldn't stand. He told stories of more than one escape by such method as hiding in rafters when camps were moved, as well as more than one re-capture such as spending many days hiding and starving to the point of eating grass until when he felt he had worked his way to where he must be behind friendly lines again he found a camp fire. Running into the circle he excitedly declared he was American and was recaptured by the surprised German camping soldiers.
03 Jul 1945 - Repatriated
Ray passed away several years ago.
(ALL IMAGES AND INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS PROPERTY OF THE CAGLE FAMILYAND MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT PERMISSION. PLEASE CONTACT THE WEBMASTER AT THE E-MAIL BELOW)
©2006 509thgeronimo.org. All Rights Reserved.