Ray Stout, who flew with the 405th Bombardment Squadron, 38th Bombardment Group, said the roughest combat missions he flew in World War II were to Wewak, New Guinea.

Prior to his death June 14, 2003, Stout wrote that of the 59 combat missions he flew, the missions to Wewak really stood out in his memory. “They could be called rough and tough missions, and in my opinion, they were. As I look back from the vantage point of time it is easy to understand why I will never forget Wewak,” he wrote.

The crews that flew with the 405th Bomb Squadron were known as “Green Dragons.” A large green dragon was the nose art on all the squadron’s B-25s. “The Green Dragon was visible from the ground when we made low level strafing runs,” Stout wrote. “Tokyo Rose spoke of us often however, her words were not kind. Although the Green Dragon
was attractive nose art, it may have incurred extra harsh treatment for downed crews taken prisoner by the Japanese.

There were many incidents during combat in which I was just plain lucky. In fact, some of my friends began to call me Lucky. I suppose I was willing to let fate control my destiny. Fate was really kind to me in my early combat days.”

Those early missions included strafing and bombing the Japanese Dagua airstrip at low level, 20 to 100 feet, on Aug. 21, 1943. The next month, the squadron flew a second mission to destroy ships carrying supplies to Wewak.

Stout grew up in Allen and graduated from Allen High School. He received
his Bachelor of Arts in government and history and also a Master’s Degree from
East Central University. He did graduate work at the University of Nevada and then returned to Oklahoma where he received his doctorate in administration and education from the University of Oklahoma.

He was employed at General Motors and taught in public schools in Nevada, California and Oklahoma. He was a professor in the ECU Education Department and served as dean of the graduate studies and continuing Education at ECU.

He served on Ada City Council for 20 years and as mayor of Ada for five terms.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Infantry and later started flying and served as an education staff officer. He served in three wars, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

He joined the National Guard in 1939 and went into the infantry for two years. From there, he went into the Army Air Corps in 1942.

He married Betty Jo Hopkins Feb. 2, 1950, who survives.

by Tony Pippen