Ol'Harry

FORREST BRAY -- WW II SAILOR, RECYCLER, BUILDER, POLITICAL ACTIVIST 

The Navy recruiter probably didn’t ask Forrest Bray about his work ethic.  At Asheboro High School, he had lettered in baseball, basketball, football, played in the band, become an Eagle Scout, and elected student body president.  He also had part-time jobs -- firing the gym boiler and delivering the Greensboro Daily News. 

However, even during World War II, the Navy had a sense of humor, “I wanted to go into Naval Aviation, so the Navy assigned me to the Navy Armed Guard aboard the Billy Mitchell, a Merchant Marine ship named after an aviator.”

FORREST BRAY (R) DURING HIS EARLY WW II DAYS

During World War II, 144,900 U.S. sailors served in the Armed Guard aboard 6236 Merchant Marine ships – 710 ships were sunk, 1810 guardsmen killed in action.

The Billy Mitchell reached England in May, 1944 with assorted Seabee materiel and two Navy PT boats on board.  “We unloaded and left for the States on June 5, the day before D-Day.  We had to dodge a sea of ships to leave, but thanked the Lord for getting us out of harm’s way before hostilities began.”

The Billy Mitchell returned to the war zone by way of Glasgow, Scotland, where two ocean tugs were off-loaded.  Next stop was Omaha Beach, where they anchored for six months, “We were like Ace Hardware at sea, with 2 X 4s, plywood, nails, all sorts of building materials needed by our forces on land.  The ocean was adrift with floating material that had been lost or thrown overboard.  I built a small boat for scavenging useful material when we weren’t busy.”

Being anchored for six months almost did the Billy Mitchell in, “We unloaded at Cherbourg, France in November, 1944 and headed for the States.  We couldn’t maintain convoy speed across the Atlantic and were left without an escort – that was a little scary!”

Bray went aboard another Merchant Marine ship, the E. Kirby Smith.  “We sailed for Europe again.  The Germans were retreating on land, but enemy submarines were still active.  We stayed at general quarters from dusk to dawn.  Passing through the Straits of Gibraltar in single file -- three ships ahead of us were torpedoed. – that was our closest call.

All ships went on full speed.  We could only make six knots but finally made it to Port Said, Egypt for repairs, then to Calcutta, India.  Next ports of call were Sri Lanka; Mozambique (where we learned about V-E Day); Cape Town; Trinidad; and New York.”

After assignments at Charleston, South Carolina and San Diego, California, Bray reported aboard an aircraft carrier, the USS Kwajalein, at Pearl Harbor.  “At last, I would learn about airplanes, something I had always wanted to do.” 

BRAY'S DREAM OF SERVING ON A CARRIER FINALLY MATERIALIZED
BUT HIS CARRIER HAD NO AIRCRAFT

That was not to be, Kwajalein’s airplanes had been taken off and the carrier was being used to bring troops home from the South Pacific – the war was over!”  Bray was honorably discharged on May 10, 1946.

His parents had moved to Greensboro during the war, “I got a job at Sears Catalog Order Plant that lasted 14 years.  During that time, I started part-time in real estate and building.”

After Sears, he formed his own development company, Bray, Inc.  “We were fortunate to add a good number of residential and commercial buildings to the Greensboro landscape, including some sizeable developments and a few subdivisions.”

He was also active with the Homebuilders Association – on the local, state, and national levels.  He served as president of the Greensboro Builders Association and was Homebuilder of the year in 1981.

 

It wasn’t all work for Bray.  He found an 88-acre play haven to which he would eventually retire – in the Bethany community of Rockingham County.  “I wanted to experience building as did my ancestors – cut the timber, hew the wood, build the structure – and never take any trees down unless absolutely necessary.”

A self-acclaimed “tree-hugger,” 91-year old Bray is also a consummate recycler.  “Just about everything on my property is built from previously used material.  My chimney isn’t even pure-bred, the bricks come from four different structures.”

Bray is politically outspoken and has consistently offered himself for public office – in both Guilford and Rockingham Counties.  He has made unsuccessful runs for county commissioners in both counties as well as for mayor of Greensboro.

FORREST BRAY IS DOESN'T MIND OFFERING HIS TIME AND TALENT
 "TO FIX BROKEN SERVICES"

“I’ve slowed down a bit nowadays, but still attend school board and county commissioner meetings, as well as a lot of committee meetings.”  He also posts political commentary at www.rceno.com and has hosted a monthly radio show on Madison’s WLOE.

FORREST BRAY IS LIVING HIS DREAM ON 88-ACRE DOMAIN OF HIS OWN

His former wife is deceased – they had two children, three grands, and five great-grandchildren.  Bray attended Westover Church in Greensboro, but now attends Smyrna Presbyterian Church in Bethany.