2014 Honoree
Air Force, Vietnam
Silver Star (2), Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, and other awards
Thirty days after Ray Bryant graduated from high school, the Korean War began. Although he was just 18 years old and had never flown before, Bryant enlisted in the Air Force with dreams of becoming a pilot. Bryant was accepted as an aviation cadet for flight training and on September 15, 1954, he graduated from flight school with his silver pilot wings and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. This marked the beginning of Bryant’s distinguished service record—one that includes flying more than 100 combat missions over North Vietnam.
Over the course of his career, Bryant served as a T-33 flight instructor, an F-86 gunnery trainer at Williams AFB, an F-100 pilot in Japan, and did a tour of duty flying the F-105 in West Germany. He did all of this while continuing his education by taking night classes. He finally earned his degree in business management from the Hampton Institute in Virginia.
However, no assignment or mission was as frightening as the one he flew on December 4, 1966—just two days after his roommate was killed in action.
On this day, Bryant served as the force commander of 24 F-105s. Their assignment was to bomb the Hanoi railroad yard, a high priority and well-defended target that had not been hit before. As they approached the yard, the strike force faced surface-to-air missiles, heavy anti-aircraft fire, and a MIG attack. However, one of Bryant’s wingmen shot down a MIG-17 and was able to successfully complete the mission, leaving the yard extensively damaged. For his superb leadership, Bryant was awarded he Silver Star.
Just a few months later Bryant earned the First Oak Leaf Cluster to the Silver Star for destroying 24 gun emplacements while leading a mission to bomb the Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Factory. No aircraft or pilots were lost during the very successful attack.
Though he flew his last combat mission in May 1967, Bryant continued his career in the air force in several capacities.
Bryant returned to the states where he became a student at the Armed Forces Staff College. He then served as a staff officer at Langley AFB. After that, he served in Korea for a year as the commander of a fighter squadron flying the F-4. He then returned to Cannon AFB where he was promoted to colonel.
Bryant’s last overseas station was in Panama, where he served for three years. He then returned to Luke AFB where he served as the director of Resource Management and later as base commander.
After 30 years of service, Bryant finally retired in February 1981—turning down the opportunity to serve another four years in Hawaii to move back to Utah—a place he considered more suitable for raising his teenagers.
However, as with many service members, Bryant said he missed it when he left.
“The hardest thing was leaving people I had a lot respect for that I enjoyed being with,” Bryant said. Although he may no longer be serving alongside those people, they are most certainly not forgotten. He still carries in his wallet the names of 52 men he served with during his career who were shot down over Vietnam.
MB5-705
M70-201
70-461
640-722
MB2-701test
70-331 test
1Z0-060test
820-421
350-029
117-102
70-487
70-243
MB2-703 exam
70-488 exam
N10-005
HP0-J73
74-335
70-680
350-018
N10-005 exams
ICBB exams
C4090-958 exams
74-335 exams
70-465 exams
350-018 exams
1Z0-061 exams
MB6-700
70-465
1Z0-061
N10-005 test
ICBB test
CCD-410 test
C_TFIN52_66 test
70-687 test
70-465 test
70-457 test
350-018 test
1Z0-061 test
C2180-276
117-101
MB2-700
70-463
400-101
820-421
350-029
117-102
JN0-102
70-331
1Z0-060
C2090-303
70-484
MB6-886
C2090-303
70-484
70-410
VCP-550 dumps
70-487 dumps
70-414 dumps
100-101 dumps
MB2-702
70-243
700-505
350-001
70-462
70-410
M70-301
HP0-J73
C_TFIN52_66
70-687
70-489
70-458
700-501
220-802
VCP-550
C_TAW12_731
70-466
70-414
400-101
MB5-705
C_TADM51_731
70-486
70-411
200-120
70-680
70-341
C_TFIN52_66
70-687
70-464
OG0-093 exams
EX0-001 exams
C2180-276 exams
70-413 exams
1Z0-599 exams
C_THR12_66
70-460
117-102
MB6-871
74-338
70-462
70-410
MB2-701
EX300
70-489
700-505
350-001
1Z0-060
MB2-702
70-243
MB6-700
EX0-001
C2180-276
820-421
70-413
646-206
1Z0-599
117-101
N10-005 test
M70-201 test
C4090-958 test
C2180-276 test
70-465 test
646-206 test
1Z0-061 test
PMP
70-687
070-331
70-486
70-480
70-412
N10-005
1Z0-061
C_TADM51_731
70-480
70-346
CCD-410
70-341
MB2-700
70-463
70-412
EX300
640-554
M70-101
700-501
050-SEPROAUTH-02
MB2-700
1Z0-521
000-610
M70-101 dumps
70-680 dumps
70-464 dumps
70-341 dumps
220-802 dumps
MB2-701
EX200
70-467
640-911
1Z0-060
EX200
640-911
MB5-705
70-411
N10-005
HP0-J73
70-457
1Z0-061
70-342
820-421
98-349
C_TSCM52_66
70-432
1Y0-253
070-496
70-458
050-SEPROAUTH-02
70-680
70-341
MB6-700
C4090-958
VCP550
EX300
640-554
OG0-093
M70-201
C4090-958
C2180-276
820-421
70-465
646-206
220-801
117-101
C_TAW12_731
70-483
70-463
70-412
400-101
HP0-J73
70-687
MB6-871
70-484
200-101
CCD-410
70-464
70-341
050-SEPROAUTH-02
70-467
640-911
C4040-221
820-421
1Z0-599
EX200
350-001
EX200
350-001
EX200
640-911
EX200
700-505
350-001
300-207
1Z0-062
70-483
70-463
70-347
MB6-886
HP0-J73
1Z0-060
MB6-871
70-484
MB7-702
70-496
MB7-702
C2180-278
VCP-550
JN0-102
70-414
640-554
N10-005
1Z0-061
MB5-705
70-486
70-480
70-347
JN0-102
70-414
VCP-550
70-487
70-414
400-101
M70-201
70-413
117-101
CCD-410
70-458
70-489
M70-301
MB2-703
70-411