Ray Booher was born 21 September 1920 in Burkesville Kentucky. He was the son of Jim and Ada Booher. He had a twin brother Roy, five other brothers and six sisters. He grew up on a farm in south-central Kentucky. Ray and his twin borther Roy moved to Anaheim, California in 1940. Both joined the Army at the outbreak of the War. (Two other Booher brothers joined the US Navy.) They served together in the 30th Infantry Division, but in different Regiments with Roy belonging to the 119th and Ray belonging to the 120th. They shipped to England in June of 1944. On 12 September 1944, Roy’s Regiment crossed the Albert Canal and the Meuse River and headed north toward the Netherlands. When they came to the town of Noorbeek in the Netherlands, a Dutch citizen warned the unit that there were Germans ahead, and Roy was sent to look for them. While he was doing so, he was shot by a German on his right-hand side and died. Roy Booher was the first American soldier to be killed during the liberation of The Netherlands. A newspaper article from that time period falsely stated that he was killed in Belgium.
Source: https://aomda.org
From Find a grave: Ray and Roy Booher, twin sons of Jim and Ada Booher, born Sept. 21, 1920 in Burkesville Kentucky. The son of a farmer and sawmill owner, Roy grew up on a farm in south-central Kentucky. Ironically, our family is of German decent. Our ancestor, John Bucher, came from Germany ( near Bad Neuhiem ) to Lancaster PA. Because the great depression of 1929 made life in rural Kentucky difficult, Ray and Roy moved to Anaheim California in 1940. They went to work for their uncle, Barney Booher who had a trucking business. Their parents and younger brothers and sisters also left their Kentucky farm for the opportunities available in southern California in 1941. At the outbreak of WWII, one of the twins was drafted, no one remembers which one, so the other twin joined at the same time. It was against policy for brothers to serve in the same regiment, but the military did put them in the same division, the 30th Infantry, with Roy going to the 119th and Ray to the 120th. They went to Camp Blanding Florida for training. I have several letters they sent home during their army days. From letters they sent home, I think they only saw each other once after leaving England in June of 1944. Somewhere in a small French village at the beginning of August, 1944, the 119th and 120th passed thru each other. Uncle Ray told other family that as he was walking through this town, Uncle Roy yelled down to him from a porch where he was sitting. They had a joyous reunion for about 30 minutes., it was the last time they would ever see other.Uncle Ray said he got word about Roy's death from some of the 119th boys just a day or so after it happened. To my knowledge, he never spoke of it again to anyone. Sept. 12th 1944, the Americans went trew Noorbeek. Just outside of the village they (K co. of the 119th was leading) met German resistance. Mr. Brouwers sr. saw the GI's coming and wanted to warn them for the Germans. Roy Booher (119th K. Co) with another GI, went forward to look upon the "hill" to see were the Germans were. Roy Booher was on the left hand side of the road. He had to go over an hedge. Then he got shot. Mr. Brouwers does not know if a medic went to him. He only knows that the K co. stopped and that after about an hour there came 3 planes which put gun fire on the German position. K co. didn't move any further that day, Mr. Brouwers told us that! But L co. of the 119th made a movement (threw Bergenhuizen)on the left wing and took Terlinden (high ground) on the 12th Roy Booher's body was still in the field the next morning. A local woman, who was a nurse, has seen/examined Roy Booher's dead body.