Ray L. Bowers' Obituary
Ray L. Bowers CMI, USN, USS Tautog
Ray was born Feb. 5, 1921 in Ottawa, KS. Enlisted in the Navy July 21, 1940. Attended recruit training at Great Lakes Training Center. Attended submarine training at New London, CT. He was aboard the submarine USS Tautog (199) on Pearl Harbor Day. They shot down a Japanese torpedo plane on Dec. 7, 1941 for the first single-handed submarine kill of the war. He was aboard the Tautog for the first five war patrols. The Tautog sank a total of 26 ships (an American record), including a Japanese submarine. He later served aboard USS Steelhead and USS Pipefish. After the war he went to China for approximately one year. He then returned to San Diego, CA and served with Construction BN. 104. He was discharged April 20, 1948, rank CMI. He married Jan. 6, 1944 to Geraldine M. Bonneau and had five children, thirteen grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. He retired in March 1986 from industrial supply business. He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Geraldine, his grandson Brian Jeffrey Haley, and his granddaughter Mary Frances Bowers. All are welcome to attend services in the Mountain View Garden Chapel at 3:00 PM on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012. Memorial donations may be made to your local food bank. Arrangements by Mountain View Funeral Home.
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