Raley, William Galen

1917 - 2002  (84 years)

• Name	Raley, William Galen
  Birth	17 Oct 1917	Richland County, Illinois   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Reference Number	RALE.W001
  _FGRAVE	26564702
  Military Service	World War II, Sergeant, Headquarters Company, 130th Infantry Regiment, 33rd 'Illinois' Infantry Division, United States Army  [2, 3]
  	Entered active service as a draftee on October 13, 1942 at Camp Grant, Illinois. Completed basic training, qualified in the Military Occupational Specialty of Rifleman (745) and later Ammunition Non Commissioned Officer (505). Departed the Continental U.S. on June 19, 1943 bound for the Pacific Theater of Operations. Assigned to and fought with Headquarters Company, 130th Infantry Regiment, 33rd 'Illinois' Infantry Division, in the Luzon Campaign. Earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 1 bronze battle star, WWII Victory Medal and the Philippine Liberation Medal with 1 bronze battle star. Honorably discharged as a Sergeant on December 19, 1945 at the Separation Center, Fort Sheridan, Illinois. This information has been posted on the National World War II Memorial's Registry of Remembrances website by Robert Medley Gatewood. It is entered here with his permission. Source: https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=2164300
  		Flag of the United States, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959, a…
  		United States Army
  		Sergeant, United States Army and United States Army Air Fores (Sep 1942-Aug 1948) NOTE: The three stripe Sergeant Insignia was not used during the Korean War
  		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
  		Combat Infantryman Badge, United States Army
  		Combat Infantryman Badge, United States Army
  		Military Service Ribbons, William Galen Raley (1917-2002) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Army
  		Good Conduct Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		American Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		American Campaign Medal, United States
  		Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, United States Armed Forces
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		World War II Victory Medal, United States Military
  		Philippine Liberation Medal, Republic of the Philippines
  		Philippine Liberation Medal, Republic of the Philippines
  		Fort Sheridan, Illinois
  		Camp Grant, Illinois
  		World War II (1939-1945)
  		Asiatic-Pacific Theater, World War II
  		33rd Infantry Division ("Prairie Division"), United States Army
  		33rd Infantry Division ("Prairie Division"), United States Army
  		130th Infantry Regiment (United States Army)
  		World War II Honoree, Raley, William G. (1917-2002)
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007 On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. …
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 02 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 03 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 20 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  Death	25 Mar 2002	Flora Pavilion Nursing Center, Flora, Clay County, Illinois   [1, 4]
  	William Galen Raley, 85, of Clay City, died at 12:50 a.m. Monday, March 25, 2002, at Flora Pavilion in Flora. Visitation will be from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at Frank & Bright Funeral Home in Flora. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with Reverend Jay Keele officiating. Burial with military honors will be in Clay City Cemetery. Mr. Raley was born on October 17, 1917, in Richland County, the son of William T. and Clara (Bennett) Raley. He married Juanita Hamilton on January 1, 1947, in Salem. She survives. He was retired from Dowell Chemical Co. He was a member of the Baptist faith and was a World War II Army veteran. Mr. Raley is survived by his wife, Juanita Raley, of Clay City; two sisters, Marjorie Burnett and her husband, Clarence, of Flora, and Muriel Hanes and her husband, Vernon, of Flora; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother. Memorials may be made to Parkinson's Foundation. The Olney (IL) Daily Mail, March 2002
  Burial	Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [1]
  		Headstone, Raley, Juanita and William G.
  Person ID	I31325	Carl Wayne Gray Research
  Last Modified	29 Apr 2026

  
  

  Father	Raley, William Thomas,   b. 23 Sep 1885   d. 7 Jun 1978 (Age 92 years)
  Mother	Bennett, Clara Agnes,   b. 23 Jan 1890   d. 1 Mar 1981 (Age 91 years)
  Family ID	F13029	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Hamilton, Juanita,   b. 29 Mar 1920   d. 1 Dec 2004, St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital, Effingham, Effingham County, Illinois (Age 84 years)
  Marriage	1 Jan 1947	Salem, Marion County, Illinois
  Age at Marriage	He : 29 years and 3 months - She : 26 years and 10 months.
  Family ID	F13129	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Jan 2023

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 17 Oct 1917 - Richland County, Illinois Marriage - 1 Jan 1947 - Salem, Marion County, Illinois Death - 25 Mar 2002 - Flora Pavilion Nursing Center, Flora, Clay County, Illinois Burial - - Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S9532] (Reliability: 2). [S8183] (Reliability: 2). [S9534] (Reliability: 2). [S9533] (Reliability: 2).