A.D. Ray was born Allen Dale Ray in Texas in 1952 and his family moved around the Southwest until 1965 when they moved to central California.  He went to high school and junior college there until he joined the military in 1974.  In college he studied electronics and communications and in the military was a telecommunications specialist.  During his military tour of duty he served in London England for three years then in Denver where he served as part of NORAD until 1980.