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Pfc. Ray L. Cherry – Cherry was born in Menan April 6, 1924 and enlisted in the Marines. Cherry received training in San Diego and served overseas. At 19 years old, Cherry was killed in action in the Battle of Tarawa. He was survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Cherry of Menan, and two sisters, Mrs. Wayne Poole of Menan and Mrs. Gale Clements of Lewisville.

From November 20 through 23, 1943, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy carried out Operation GALVANIC, a large-scale amphibious assault on the Japanese-held atoll of Tarawa. Located 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, Tarawa was a crucial stepping stone in the planned U.S. offensive across the central Pacific toward Japan. The Japanese garrison on Tarawa’s main island of Betio was well-entrenched with hundreds of bunkers and gun positions behind formidable beach obstacles. The first wave of Marines approaching the shore encountered lower-than-expected tides, forcing them to leave their landing craft on the reef and wade the hundreds of yards to the beach under intense enemy fire. The heaviest number of U.S. casualties were suffered during this phase of the landing. Eventually, rising tides allowed U.S. warships to maneuver closer to shore and support the troops with effective naval gunfire. More Marines landed on the second day, launching attacks inland from the beaches and seizing the Japanese airfield on the island. However, the enemy launched vicious counterattacks and two more days of intense fighting were needed to secure Betio. The last enemy strongpoints were taken on the morning of November 23. The fighting on Betio cost the Marines nearly 3,000 casualties but enabled U.S. forces to press further across the Pacific, and yielded valuable tactical lessons that reduced U.S. losses in future amphibious landings.

Private First Class Ray Lawson Cherry, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps from Utah, served with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He participated in the Battle of Tarawa and was killed in action on November 20, 1943. He was buried on Betio Island, but his remains were not located following the end of hostilities. Today, Private First Class Cherry is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. .