Ray, then a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army, Black Panther Division, 26th Infantry, Company C, was on his way to France where the Battle of the Bulge had just begun. He had been shipped to England aboard the U.S.S. George Washington, landing at Southampton. The troopship carrying his Division to France was a Belgian ship, the Leopoldville, which left Dorchester, England, on a cold, clear Christmas Eve morning.

Named for the capital of the old Belgian Congo, the Leopoldville was a 501-foot, 11,509-gross-ton vessel built in 1929. She was used as a luxury liner between Antwerp and Africa before being taken over by the British and refitted as a troop transport early in the war. More than 750 lives were lost, 300 when a torpedo blasted a huge hole in the ship's hull and killed everyone in two troop compartments. The other fatalities were troops who were not rescued from the water after the ship sank.

"I was in my hammock one deck down, about the center of the ship," Ray says. "I suspected right away that we'd been hit by a torpedo because it was a large explosion that rocked the ship pretty good." Everyone on the ship was required to wear life jackets at all times. Ray says he went on deck immediately after the explosion. "I was sure the ship was going to sink because she was listing pretty hard."

The torpedo hit the ship at dusk, a little before 6:00 pm, and the Leopoldville sank about two hours and 10 minutes later. It was completely dark by then. Ships escorting the troop ship tried to pull alongside to evaluate those aboard, but the rough seas made it nearly impossible. Some men jumped from the Leopoldville to the rescuing ships; however, this was dangerous. Many were crushed between the heaving hulls.

"When the ship rolled over on its side," Ray says, "I ran down the side until I got to the water. Then I started swimming as hard as I could." Because he was in top physical shape, having just undergone extensive physical conditioning during eight weeks of ranger training, Ray says he thought he had a good chance of surviving. "There was a lot of time to think during the two hours before the ship went down."

Rays says he swam until he was exhausted, and when he looked back, he was only about 40 feet from where he'd gone into the water. The suction of the sinking ship was pulling him back.

"I went into the water fully clothed, wearing my combat boots and heavy Army overcoat," he says. "I also had two bandoliers across my shoulders, each holding 40 rounds of ammunition, and a cartridge belt around my waist with 80 rounds in it. When I went into the water, I threw my steel helmet away as hard as I could."

Clark had four hand grenades clipped to his belt, a can of jam, and a box of K-rations in each pocket. He says the only thing he lost was the hand grenades, which came unclipped while he was swimming. "I had to keep swimming as hard as I could just to keep afloat. There was no way to get rid of any of the weight. My life preserver was soaked with oil from the ship and was starting to lose its buoyancy. I'd been in the water over six hours when a French tug pulled me out."

Ray says he was lucky to be able to hang on to the rope he was thrown because he was cold and exhausted. He was pulled aboard the tug and discovered that it was completely manned by black men who wore red tam-o-shanters. Not one of them spoke English. At least 50 men that Ray knew well from C-Company were drowned when the Leopoldville sank. The torpedo that sank the troopship was fired by a German submarine "U-486" commanded by Lt. Gerhard Meyer. The damage went beyond the lives lost; it severely handicapped the effectiveness of those who were rescued, because they had no weapons.

The survivors were taken to Cherbourg, France, where they were re-equipped. About ten days later, they were trucked to Brittany where they helped Free French forces keep Germans penned up at St. Nazaire and Lorient until they surrendered on May 8, 1945.

"I was the first in my Company to capture prisoners," Ray says. "I was assigned to St. Nazaire, and I took a German P-38 pistol off an SS officer that I captured." Ray still has that pistol and a flag that he later took from a German Captain in Koblenz, Germany. "The guy had the flag wrapped around his waist, and he was pretty reluctant to give it up. I'm pretty sure it is at least 100 years old."

During his tour of duty, Ray was in England, France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany, as well as 38 states in the United States. He was transported back to this country on the U.S.S. George Handley, a "Liberty Ship" which docked in New York City. "I came home with the German flag and pistol, and a Purple Heart that I received in Germany, but the main think is that I got home safe. I will never be able to forget that Christmas Eve in 1944. This time of year brings the memories back strong."

The above article is reprinted from the Sheridan Press, December 24, 1999.