William Laray

LARAY Col. WILLIAM K. LARAY On April 10, 2008. Survived by daughter Emily, sons William, Thomas, James, grandchildren Max, Igor and Meredith, and sisters Margery Vuillemot and Dolores Overmyer. Colonel Laray served as the Chief Trial Judge of the U.S. Army and then as the Executive to the Judge Advocate General in the years 1972 to 1979. Colonel Laray was born October 21, 1924 in Sacramento, California, to William Alvin Lara and Hazel Eloise Roiser and grew up in and around Detroit, Michigan. In April 1943, he enlisted in the United States army and first saw service with the 254th Infantry Regiment in the Colmar Pocket , France and subsequently as a participant in the siege of the Siegfried line. He received two Bronze Stars and the Combat Infantryman Badge as an infantry leader and squad sergeant, completing serving in the European theater as a Staff Sergeant. He later attended Officer Candidate School and received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army. During the Korean Conflict he served as an infantry platoon leader for the 4th Infantry Regiment and later as a rifle company commander with the 70th Infantry Division. Colonel Laray received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan in 1948 and the degree of Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan in 1955. He served as Assistant Attorney General, State of Michigan and was in private practice before entering the Judge Advocate General Corps of the U.S. Army. Colonel Laray was a member of the Michigan state bar and the United States Supreme Court bar. In 1963 he received the LL.M. degree from the University of Virginia Law School JAG program. He served in a variety of positions in the JAG Corps including the division Staff Judge Advocate for the First Infantry Division in the Iron Triangle in Viet Nam in 1965-66. He then served as Staff Judge Advocate at Aberdeen Proving Ground before appointment as the Chief Circuit Military Judge for the U.S. Army in Germany, the Chief Trial Judge of the U.S. Army and the Executive to the Judge Advocate General. Colonel Laray was preceded in death by son Paul in 1973 and Carolyn, his beloved wife of 54 years, in 2006. Full military honors will be rendered at Arlington National Cemetery on June 20, 2008 at 11:00 am.as a participant in the siege of the Siegfried line. He received two Bronze Stars and the Combat Infantryman Badge as an infantry leader and squad sergeant, completing serving in the European theater as a Staff Sergeant. He later attended Officer Candidate School and received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army. During the Korean Conflict he served as an infantry platoon leader for the 4th Infantry Regiment and later as a rifle company commander with the 70th Infantry Division. Colonel Laray received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan in 1948 and the degree of Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan in 1955. He served as Assistant Attorney General, State of Michigan and was in private practice before entering the Judge Advocate General Corps of the U.S. Army. Colonel Laray was a member of the Michigan state bar and the United States Supreme Court bar. In 1963 he received the LL.M. degree from the University of Virginia Law School JAG program. He served in a variety of positions in the JAG Corps including the division Staff Judge Advocate for the First Infantry Division in the Iron Triangle in Viet Nam in 1965-66. He then served as Staff Judge Advocate at Aberdeen Proving Ground before appointment as the Chief Circuit Military Judge for the U.S. Army in Germany, the Chief Trial Judge of the U.S. Army and the Executive to the Judge Advocate General. Colonel Laray was preceded in death by son Paul in 1973 and Carolyn, his beloved wife of 54 years, in 2006. Full military honors will be rendered at Arlington National Cemetery on June 20, 2008 at 11:00 am.