RAY S. MCDONALD, LT, USN
Ray McDonald '06
Lucky Bag
From the 1906 Lucky Bag:
Ray Straith McDonald
Grafton, North Dakota
"Mac"
A human fountain of knowledge. Knows all about everything and can tell you just how it works. Has the foxiest walk in the class and ambles along with a breezy parallel motion that is the envy of his fellows. Gets a grease with everybody on his child-like and guileless expression. The Navy needed him so badly that he was allowed to enter a month late. Loves the salt sea air, especially when it is a cross sea, and likes to watch the dancing spray when he thinks the spud locker won't be lonesome without him.
Buzzard (2, 1).
Ray Straith McDonald
Grafton, North Dakota
"Mac"
A human fountain of knowledge. Knows all about everything and can tell you just how it works. Has the foxiest walk in the class and ambles along with a breezy parallel motion that is the envy of his fellows. Gets a grease with everybody on his child-like and guileless expression. The Navy needed him so badly that he was allowed to enter a month late. Loves the salt sea air, especially when it is a cross sea, and likes to watch the dancing spray when he thinks the spud locker won't be lonesome without him.
Buzzard (2, 1).
Loss
From The Record-Argus (Greenville, Pennsylvania) on May 3, 1912:
NAVAL OFFICER KILLED
Lieutenant McDonald Thrown Against Elevated Railroad Pillar.New York, May 3.—Lieutenant Ray S. McDonald, U. S. N., when boarding a street car in Brooklyn, slipped and was thrown against one of the pillars of the elevated, sustaining fractures and contusions of the skull which caused his death later at the Brooklyn hospital. Lieutenant McDonald married Katherine Hellner, daughter of the late Rear Admiral Hellner, one month ago in Washington.
Other Information
Ray was with his wife at the time of his accident.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Ray McDonald – born August 26, 1884, in Welland, Ontario, Canada.
Ray came to Grafton in the early 1890s with his parents and graduated from Grafton High School in 1902.
He was appointed to the Naval Academy on November 22, 1902.
In February 1906, he had duty on the Charleston, and in January 1910, he was on the cruiser New Orleans.
Ray was in command of the little gunboat Villalobos on the upper Yangste river when the first gun of the rebellion was fired at Wuchang in October 1911. He returned in January 1912 from the flagship Saratoga.
His father was Rev. C. D. McDonald. He had two sisters Mrs. Geo. Webb and Mrs. Arthur French of Ellendale. His two brothers were Dr. Allan McDonald of Detroit and Captain Donald McDonald, coast artillery corps and instructor at West Point.
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Memorial Hall Error
Ray's death was not operational and he should not be included in Memorial Hall.
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