McBrayer Elementary students jammed with Radio Disney Thursday.
March 4, 2011
McBrayer wins nationwide Disney contest
March 4, 2011 — McBrayer Elementary students jammed with Radio Disney Thursday after winning a nationwide wellness competition. McBrayer is a part of the Healthy Schools Program for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and one of the 20 schools in Kentucky that had successful wellness initiatives. The school also won gym equipment from Disney for being one of the first five schools to enter and complete the healthy lifestyle campaign. ATTENTION - ATTENTION - ATTENTION SPECIAL NOTICE We need your help!!!! I was contacted (6/2/2011) by the U.S. Army Casualty Office for help in locating relatives of a McBrayer who was listed as "Missing in Action" (1950) during the Korean War and later (1953) declared as "Killed in Action". His body was never recovered. The U.S. Army Casualty Office is looking for ANYONE who is a relative of Lee Rayford McBrayer, born in 1920 in North Carolina. They are asking for a mouth swab from a living relative so a positive ID can be made on any remains returned. The story is this: Lee Rayford McBrayer, born about 1920 in New York (place of birth was on his military records, but research prooved North Carolina), was a Corporal in Company C, 1/24 Regiment, 25th Infantry Division when an overwhelming number of Chinese Communists crossed the Yalu River and pushed his unit on a withdrawl to the south bank of the Chongchon River on November 30, 1950. Lee Rayford was reported missing on November 28. He was later listed as "Killed in Action" in 1953. His remains were never returned. The North Korean govenrment has recently allowed the recovery of many of the remains of U.S. soldiers who had fallen in battle in that country. Those remains are now being returned to America for identification. Of those about 200 have already been identified, but many others still are awaiting the process. This is being done through a DNA comparison process. The DNA comes from relatives of these soldiers. The official death notification was sent to his mother in Charlotte, NC. She was listed as ERA LAWRENCE. Also found in the records was the name of an aunt ESSIE MCBRAYER. If ANYONE knows of any relative of this individual, PLEASE, contact me immediately at carl5@cox.net or carlmcbrayer@yahoo.com. Let's help in identifying Lee's remains so he can receive a proper military burial for a family hero. His family deserves to know that he is finally home. UPDATE: We now know that Lee was black, born about 1921 in North Carolina. His mother married a Mr. Lawrence sometime after 1930 and lived in Charlotte, NC. He also had an aunt - Essie McBrayer, a widow of Hoyle McBrayer. She was still living in 1968, but it isn't known if she had children or if Era McBrayer Lawrence had other children. We do know they lived in Charlotte, NC, though. UPDATE - JUNE 4, 2011 After an exhaustive search it has been determined that Lee Rayford McBrayer had no known siblings - he was an only child. Even though his mother remarried there were no children of record to this marriage. It is unfortunate that a relative cannot be located that could provide a DNA to identify Lee's remains. IF ANYONE KNOWS OR DISCOVERS ANY LIVING RELATIVE OF THIS PERSON, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! This is one of those times when the pieces of the puzzle fall together, but they don't produce a full picture. Thanks to all for your help, comments, and interest - especially to Christie __________, who was critical in her assistance with research.
Missing Relative Sought