View source for Ray Barracks

{{Short description|United States Army installation in Friedberg, Germany}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2009}}{{Infobox military installation|name=Ray Barracks|location=[[Friedberg, Hesse]]|image=Ray Barracks.jpg|caption=Ray Barracks in 1956|controlled by=[[United States Army]]|ownership=[[United States Department of Defense]]|used=1945–2007|occupants=3rd Brigade, [[3rd Armored Division (United States)|3rd Armored Division]]}}

'''Ray Barracks''' was a [[United States Army]] installation in [[Friedberg, Hesse|Friedberg]], [[Germany]] until it was closed by the U.S. government in 2007 and returned to the [[Government of Germany|German government]]. Located in the southern part of the city near the industrial area, the barracks had numerous facilities. The barracks included a firing range for personal weapons qualification, an [[Urban warfare]] training site, vehicle maintenance facilities and various recreation facilities. After [[World War II]] the barracks were named after First Lieutenant [[Bernard J. Ray]], who was awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] for his actions during the [[Battle of Hürtgen Forest]]. Ray sacrificed himself to destroy a [[wire obstacle]] that was blocking his unit's path. The base was closed in August 2007.

==History==

=== Before 1945 ===

Friedberg's history as a garrison town dates back to 1645 when a company was formed there to guard the castle. The barracks were originally built in 1900, known as Wartturm Kaserne, and used during World War I and World War II. Early in 1913 the construction of the present [[kaserne]] started and by October of the same year the 2nd Battalion of the Hessian 168th Infantry Regiment were stationed there. In the fall of 1914 the entire kaserne was completed. During [[World War I]] the kaserne was used to confine [[Imperial Russian Army|Russian]], [[French Army|French]] and [[British Army|British]] officers. After the war the police took possession of the kaserne until 1933 when Austrian sympathizers of the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi regime]] lived there. At the request of city officials, soldiers were stationed at the kaserne in 1938; specifically, the [[Wehrmacht|Wehrmacht's]] 3rd Battalion of the [[36th Grenadier Division|36th Infantry Regiment]]. Additional buildings were constructed on the kaserne to make room for more soldiers. Most of these soldiers were eventually deployed to [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]].

=== After World War II ===
[[File:Wartturm-Kaserne in Friedberg.JPG|thumb|An aerial view of the barracks in 1950]]
After 1945 various American units were stationed at Ray Barracks, most recently [[3rd Armored Division (United States)|3rd Armored Division]] and [[1st Armored Division (United States)|1st Armored Division]] components.

The first American units occupied the kaserne in 1945. There were both infantry and armored units housed at the kaserne.  In 1948 the kaserne was occupied by units later to be designated the [[16th Infantry Regiment (United States)|16th Infantry Regiment]] of the [[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]].{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} One of the infantry units was the Headquarters Battalion of the [[8th Infantry Regiment (United States)|8th Infantry Regiment]], [[4th Infantry Division (United States)|4th Infantry Division]]. The 4th Division Headquarters were in Frankfurt. Various other commands also used the barracks until Combat Command C of the 3rd Armored Division moved in about 15 April 1956. The barracks were named in honor of First Lieutenant Bernard J. Ray, Company F, 8th Infantry Regiment, who was awarded the Medal of Honor after his death.

[[File:Elvis-Presley-Denkmal vor den ehemaligen Ray Barracks in Friedberg Hessen.jpg|thumb|Elvis Presley-Monument at former Ray Barracks, 2017]]After being drafted in 1958 [[Elvis Presley]] joined the Scout Platoon of the [[3rd Armored Division (United States)|3rd Armored Division]]'s 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32nd Armor who were stationed at Ray Barracks.  He choose to not receive any special treatment and was respected for not joining Special Services, which would have allowed him to avoid certain duties and maintain his public profile. He did not live on base at Ray Barracks, but was able to live in the nearby resort city of [[Bad Nauheim]]. Presley's battalion, redesignated the 4th Battalion, 67th Armor, nicknamed the "Bandits," would be later commanded back-to-back by West Point classmates and future Army Generals [[Albert Bryant, Jr.]] and [[Martin Dempsey]] (later Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff), who maintained their office above the "Elvis Aaron Presley Mess Hall," partially funded by Presley. Notably, former U.S. Secretary of State and retired General [[Colin Powell]] began his Army career as a Second Lieutenant in 1958 at Ray Barracks in the [[3rd Armored Division (United States)|3rd Armored Division]].

The 3rd Armored Division used Ray Barracks until its retirement of colors in 1996 at which time the 1st Armored Division (Forward) occupied the installation until 2007 when the forces stationed there were returned to the [[United States]].

At the time of the installation closing in 2007 (along with nearby Giessen Depot) both bases were the home of the 1st Brigade Combat Team "Ready First", 1st Armored Division which had participated in 2 deployments to Iraq (2003-04, 2006–07) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The closing ceremony for [[Giessen Army Depot|United States Army Garrison Giessen]] was held on 28 September 2007, and on 10 January 2008 Ray Barracks was officially closed. It was last occupied by a [[102nd Signal Battalion]] telephone switch for the Friedberg and Giessen United States Army garrisons, originally installed in 1986. The installation was then returned to the German government.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.army.mil/article/6953|title=Army Closes Ray Barracks in Germany|last=Sheridan|first=Elizabeth E.|date=10 January 2008|access-date=2 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903025635/https://www.army.mil/article/6953|archive-date=2017-09-03|url-status=dead|publisher=United States Army}}</ref>

In February 2023, the city of Friedberg announced its intention to convert the site into an urban district with apartments and commerce. To this end, a private investor is to be sought together with the responsible federal authorities by 2025.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/friedberger-kaserne-ray-barracks-autoarmes-quartier-geplant-18656406.html|title=Ray Barracks sollen zur Expo Real an den Markt|last=Winter|first=Thorsten|date=5 February 2023|access-date=9 February 2023|publisher=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Portal bar|Architecture|Germany|Modern history|United States}}

{{authority control}}

{{coord missing|Hesse}}

[[Category:Barracks of the United States Army in Germany]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Wetteraukreis]]
[[Category:Elvis Presley]]
[[Category:Military installations established in 1900]]
[[Category:Military installations closed in 2008]]