African American. Alaska Highway. Company D. Born: 1 February 1917, East Feliciana Parish, Gurley, LA. Died: 6 January 2008, Baton Rouge, LA. Enlisted: 19 July 1941, Jacksonville Army Airfield, FL. Discharged: 16 October 1945.
Education: grammar school. Civilian occupation: production of food products. In city directory from 1939-1941 he was a cook. His father was Wesley McCray and his mother was Ella Lilly McCray.
His daughter, Delores Lyons, stated that he spoke very little about Alaska. He went through hell. He with his fellows were “outside in tents and officers in barracks. Their breathe froze in front of their faces.” She said that they “slept on the ground and used a lantern for heat. One soldier would stay awake because of the fumes.”
When asked if they had a stove, she said that her father never mentioned it. He did say that their “equipment was not great and they had to wait for it to arrive.” They used hand tools until the equipment arrived. Her father drove a truck. The conditions were “horrible.” The weather was very cold. She said, “I am sure a lot of toes suffered from frost bite.” Her father mentioned that he had icicles on his hair, eyelashes and eyebrows.
His parents were sharecroppers in Louisiana. She did not know a out his schooling because “he was used to pull in corps. He had to help. A white guy own the farm and got more money. The blacks were allowed to live and work on the plantation, but they got very little.”
Serial #34079743