Ray Ira Haas

Ray Ira Haas was born October 28th 1947. He lived his whole life in the same house on Seminary Street. He became a shy, timid man. He had the best throwing arm in the neighborhood.

Ray was drafted in the army during the Vietnam War. He served in an Airborne unit. It was one of the toughest units in the army and one of the most aggressive. He felt he would not survive his tour in Vietnam, so he asked to be put into a position where he would not have to take a life. He was made a radio man. One of the most dangerous jobs in Vietnam. If you cut off communications confusion will follow. There is enough confusion in combat with radios. Ray was a brave man to accept this job.

Ray was assigned as a radio man for the platoon sergeant. This meant he would follow his platoon sergeant everywhere he went. On December 29th 1967, his platoon sergeant stepped on an anti-personnel mine. Both he and Ray were wounded. After treatment, they were both sent back to their unit.

On March 25th 1967, Ray’s unit was out on patrol and large North Vietnamese Army was dug in waiting to ambush the American patrol. They were completely caught off guard. His platoon sergeant was hit in the torso several times. Both he and Ray went down. Ray realized what happened and rose to his knees and grabbed his platoon sergeant by his web gear and attempted to pull him to safety. This is when Ray was hit under the arm pit and through his chest. Ray was sent to a field hospital and succumbed to his wounds March 28th 1968. Ray earned a Bronze Star medal, two Purple Heart medals, The Army Air Medal, a National Defense medal, five Vietnam Service medals, a Vietnam Campaign medal and the Combat Infantry Badge.

A portion of 663 coming into Pennsburg is named the Ray Ira Haas highway.