WWII veteran wins battle against lifelong foe

(CBS News) COOKSON, Okla. -- Inside a single-wide in Cookson, Okla., a tortured soul lives alone.

"It's a hard life, let me tell you," says 89-year-old Ed Bray. "You ain't never lived hard until you go through what I've been through."

Bray served in World War II. He was at Normandy on D-Day, has two Purple Hearts and more than a dozen other medals. But to this day, he still can't even read what they're for -- not because it's too painful, but because he simply can't read.

"The toughest thing that ever happened to me in my life was not being able to read," he says.

Illiteracy can be that damning.

"I've covered this up for 80 years," he says. "Nobody in this town knows I can't read."

Until he retired, Ed worked a civilian job at an Air Force base refueling planes. A coworker helped him with the forms and whatnot. At home, his wife covered for him for 62 years until she died in 2009. Today, Ed manages okay, but the soldier in him still refuses to surrender.

"I want to read one book," he says. "I don't care if it's about Mickey Mouse. I want to read one book before I die."

Northeastern State University professor Tobi Thompson

/ CBS News

Over the years, Ed says many people have tried to school him, but invariably either the teacher or the student would get frustrated and give up. Then, a few months ago, a friend suggested he see a professor of reading education at Oklahoma's Northeastern State University.

"He told me I was wasting my time," says professor Tobi Thompson. "And I said, 'Well, we'll just sit and chat a couple times a week, is that okay?'"

After War: Eye on Veterans Affairs

She says eventually their weekly talks gave way to flash cards.

"And everything started clicking," Ed says.

He got pretty good at the sight words, but the real breakthrough came just last week, when at the age of 89, Ed Bray read a book about George Washington.

"It gave me goose bumps and it still does. It still does," Thompson says.

Last month, Ed Bray read a book about George Washington.

/ CBS News

"It just makes me feel good," Ed says.

He's read three more since, and though they're just third-grade-level biographies, each one has the same dramatic ending.

"Can you believe you read that?" Tobi asks a teary Bray.

Each one has the same moral takeaway for anyone who thinks they're too old to do something.

"Get in there and learn, baby. Now! 'Cause you ain't going to learn in that pine box," Bray says.

Just learned to read and already a poet.

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[thecabobum]

Mr. Bray,

I want to thank you for your service to our country. I am very proud to live in this country, a country where my freedom and my liberty were fought for and secured by young men and women such as yourself.
I commend you sir for your confront and resolve to face your lifelong challenge of not being able to read. You are an extraordinary person.
We all salute you sir.

*I hope the editors will pass along all of these comments to Mr. Bray.

[maiingan]

I just saw this very heartening story for the 1st time today. I'm glad to see Ed Bray is learning to read, but I wonder why Rudolf Flesch's book "Why Johnny Can't Read: And What You Can Do About It" wasn't used to teach him. It didn't look like Tobi Thompson used it. My father used it to teach me how to read when I was 4. It's old, but still the touchstone of the phonetic method - and still widely available in several formats. Obviously, I'm happy with the results in myself, and try to spread the word to encourage its wider use. I'm going to try to tell Steve Hartman and Tobi Thompson more directly, since I don't know if anyone but 'us folks in the peanut gallery' read these Comments.

[uncledusty]

Ed,
I saw your story on CBS Sunday Morning. If there is ever a story about uncommon valor, this was the one. I am sure you are very proud of yourself. As proud as we are of you. I am originally from Oklahoma. My family lives there and I visit frequently. You make Oklahoma proud. Good job soldier. Huaaaa!

[PattyJar]

Beautiful story :')

[Necroscope84]

Thank you sir for doing everything you've done for our country and it's people. Also thank you for setting a good example. Reading is one of my greatest joys. It's true, it is never too late to learn. You and other soldiers fought to make sure I'd have a safe place to enjoy the freedom of reading a simple book and I'm glad you are finally able to enjoy the same pleasure. You truly are part of the greatest generation ever to live.

[jechaucer]

It was no uncommon for people of his era not to be able to read. Children has young as ten years old had to give up school and go to work. Back in the day, we were still farmers in the U.S. Many of those children had to help work the farm. Their parents couldn't read, so they were not going to learn at home. Those in the city took meaningless jobs in factories. Then the war broke out. Reading was not on the list for training soldiers. After the war, most soldiers went back to school at night to get GED degrees and some college degrees. Many unfortunately, still could not read and did not go back to school. Often they would take jobs that did not require reading, such as factory assembly lines, etc. If having to read something did come up, they would ask someone close to them, but never admitting they could not read at all. They often said, they had "trouble" reading, or blamed it on their eyes. I know all this first hand from my uncle who had the same problem. He never did learn to read and died at a ripe old age of 91. He married after the war, worked, raised 8 children and put 6 of them through college.

[markfromdover]

I salute you sir! It is because of men like you.. I am here.

[rwsmith29456]

I give this man an old fashioned "Bless Your Heart".

[3monkeys3]

Great story. I am an elementary school teacher and plan on sharing this story with my students as it teaches two lessons. (1) The importance and joy of reading. (2) You are never two old to learn new things. Thanks so much for sharing your story, Mr. Bray!

[joncanuk777]

"You are never two old...."!

And you say you're a teacher? What do you teach? Stupidity??

[joncanuk777]

First of all, she should edit her comment before posting.

Second of all, look at where the "o" is in relation to the "w" on a
keyboard.

Yes, everyone makes typos, including me, but that one is just a bit much, especially coming from a teacher.

[two-cats]

What an inspiring story!