Ray W. Hagan was born on April 22, 1921 in Kentucky. He was the son of William J. Hagan and Jewel Lewis Hagan. Ray was called into the service on September 18, 1942. He took his basic training at Camp Wheeler, Ga., and for several months was stationed at Camp Swift, Texas. He sailed from New York for England, and was among the first American troops to set foot on French soil on D-Day. He had been in combat duty since entering France. Ray served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a Private First Class in the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. He died from his wounds received in battle on August 2, 1944 in France at the age of 23 and is now buried in Fountain Run Cemetery, Fountain Run, Monroe County, Kentucky, USA.