He served seven presidents and traveled the world.

Ray’s story started like many others. He was a Pennsylvania farm boy born during the Depression. Good, hard-working parents. Drafted into the Army. But that’s where his story took a turn—to the White House, the West Wing, actually—and would become a 97-year saga with a 30-year career, 52-year marriage and two trips around the world.

Yes, Ray Zook of American House Coconut Point has done some things.

It likely started the day he took his Army aptitude test. He excelled at Morse Code and was assigned a post as a Teletype Operator at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. Sent to HQ for an interview, it was the following question that changed his life, “If the President of the U.S. gave you a message to send, could you do it?”

“The next morning, I was shipped to Washington, D.C., where I helped create the first 24-hour communication center at the White House,” said Ray.

His job was to send messages each morning from the office of President Truman. Ray, along with a small detachment, would also set up mobile comm centers wherever the President would go. These trips were taken aboard the press plane, where he joined the media personnel.

After serving six years in the Army, Ray was hired by the Chief of the Telegraph & Travel Service to work at the White House and manage travel for the President and his press corps. Ray’s responsibility grew as jet travel became easier. His marching orders often came at the daily 11 a.m. press briefings. The President’s press secretary would announce a presidential trip, Ray and his staff would sign up the press personnel and organize all the travel.

“We would take as many as 150 press on an international trip, people like Dan Rather and Tom Jarriel,” he said. “We took Barbara Walters to China!”

When a trip was announced, Ray and his team would fly an advance group—including Secret Service, communications people and a small travel staff—dropping them at each point of the trip. “After the last city, we’d head back to Washington, then a week later we’d do the same schedule of cities with the President aboard Air Force One.”

In a career that took him to over 79 countries, of course, there were stories.

“We were headed into the South Pacific on an advance trip. We needed rooms for 150 press corps in New Zealand. Some kind of festival was going on and every hotel was full. We ended up reserving an old cruise ship that was docked and listing a bit. We put the press corps and our staff on the ship. They called it the Tilt’n Hilton. We left the city, and two weeks later we were told that ship had sunk at the dock.”

Ray worked for seven presidents, starting with President Truman, ending with President Carter. “President Ford was my favorite president,” said Ray. “I was Chief of the Office by then, and we grew close. He was a kind and gentle man, and he did a very good job.” Ray was invited to Ford’s official funeral.

Through it all, Ray remained dedicated to his wife for 52 years. They enjoyed the perks of the job. “Wherever we went, we had special phones in our room to speak to the White House at any time, and I could call home as well,” said Ray. “When the presidents took their vacations, we’d take our families. My wife and I traveled to many nice places.”

The magnitude of his job is not lost on Ray.

“President Nixon wanted to address the troops in Vietnam. I spent the night at a CIA safe house in Saigon. Helicoptering out over rice paddies the next morning, I said to myself, What is a little farm boy from Pennsylvania doing in this spot?”

After serving 27 years in the White House, Ray retired in 1977 at age 50. His travel skills came in handy then, as he took his wife on a trip around the world to celebrate, starting in New York and heading east.

We all have a story. A story that taught us something, changed us and helped define who we are. Our seniors have amazing stories that hold a wealth of wisdom. At American House, your next chapter is waiting to be written. We’re here to help you write it. Your way.