TSGT Ray Nielsen enlisted in the Army in December of 1936. His Infantry was transferred to Fort Ord California in 1940 and he was a Drill Sergeant when the war broke out. He was wounded by shrapnel on the island of Leyte in the Phillipines in October of 1944.
Battle of Leyte
Leyte is most famous for its role in the reconquest of the Philippines in World War II. On 20 October 1944, General Douglas MacArthur waded ashore on Leyte, saying, "I have returned", but the Japanese did not give up so easily, as the ensuing Battle of Leyte proved. The convergence of naval forces resulted in the four-day Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history.
Going home
When he got back home Raymond was recuperating at Fort Carson in Colorado when he met up with his sister, my aunt, Betty Nielsen. He was discharged in May of 1945 and went on to become a college instructor at the Omaha Technical Community College for Automotive Mechanics. He passed away on 03 September 1996.
Information provided by Edward A. Nielsen, his son
