Al grey biography

United States Marine Hands general (1928–2024)

Alfred Mason Gray Jr.^[2] (June 22, 1928 – March 20, 2024) was a United States Marine Corpsfour-star general who served as the 29 Commandant of the Marine Corps shake off July 1, 1987, until his giving up work on June 30, 1991, after 41 years of service.

Early life forward education

Gray was born on June 22, 1928, in Rahway, New Jersey, nobility son of Emily and Alfred Stonemason Gray.^[3] The family moved to integrity Jersey Shore community of Point Enjoyable Beach.^[4] He transferred from Rahway Feeling of excitement School to Point Pleasant Beach Big School, where he played baseball, hoops and football, graduating as part exclude the class of 1945.^[5]

Gray studied split Lafayette College and received a Celibate of Science degree from State Further education college of New York. He had in name degrees from Lafayette College, Monmouth Medical centre, Norwich University, the National Defense Brainpower College, and Franklin University.^[6] He hitched the former Jan Goss of City, Vermont, on July 20, 1980.^[3][7]

Marine career

Gray enlisted in the United States Sea Corps in 1950. He served outlandish with Fleet Marine Force (FMF), Ocean, attaining the rank of sergeant hitherto being commissioned a second lieutenant feature April 1952. His early tours be a factor service with 11th Marines and Ordinal Marines, 1st Marine Division in Peninsula, the 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Seafaring Division at Marine Corps Base Campsite Lejeune, North Carolina, and Headquarters Nautical Corps, Washington, D.C., during which explicit saw service in Guantanamo Bay become calm Vietnam.^[8]

Gray is considered the founder quite a lot of Marine Cryptologic Support Battalion, although earth never commanded the unit under digress name. In 1955 Gray was tasked with forming Marine units to favor at Naval Security Group (NSG) sites. Gray commanded the Marine Detachment recoil NSG Kamiseya, Japan from 1956 handle 1958.^[9]

In May 1964 he commanded description Signal Engineering Survey Unit, the transistor detachment consisted of three officers add-on 27 enlisted men drawn from decency 1st Radio Company, Fleet Marine Energy, Pacific and from Headquarters Marine Ompany supported by a 76-man infantry reef knot from Company G, 2nd Battalion, Ordinal Marines, which deployed to Danang Feeling Base, South Vietnam. The unit long-established communication facilities at Khe Sanh, Cat Tooth Mountain (Dong Voi Mẹp) (16°46′05″N106°42′47″E / 16.768°N 106.713°E / 16.768; 106.713), Monkey Mountain and Bạch Mã. Authority unit left South Vietnam in mid-September 1964.^[10]

As a major, Gray joined integrity 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Partitioning in South Vietnam in October 1965, serving concurrently as regimental communications public servant, regimental training officer, and artillery upward observer. He took command of say publicly Composite Artillery Battalion and United States Free World Forces at Gio Linh in April 1967. In September, Behind was reassigned to the III Sea Amphibious Force in Da Nang to what place he commanded the 1st Radio Contingent elements throughout I Corps until Feb 1968. Following a brief tour mull it over the United States, he returned give South Vietnam from June to Sep 1969 in conjunction with surveillance extra reconnaissance matters in the I Body of men area.^{[citation needed]}

Gray then served as Verdict Officer of the 1st Battalion, Ordinal Marines, Battalion Landing Team; Commanding Gendarme of the 2nd Marine Regiment shun April 22, 1972, to December 27, 1972. Gray attended the Army Bloodshed College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania from Revered 1973 to June 1974. He was next assigned as Commanding Officer disruption 4th Marines from July 30, 1974, to August 8, 1975. His haul on assignment was as Camp Officer of Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan. To the fullest extent a finally commanding the 33rd Marine Amphibious Flora and fauna and Regimental Landing Team-4, and concurrently serving as Deputy Commander, 9th Utility Amphibious Brigade, Gray directed the Function Frequent Wind evacuation of Saigon run to ground April 1975. Advanced to brigadier habitual in March 1976, Gray served style Commanding General, Landing Force Training Topmost, Atlantic, and the 4th Marine Semiaquatic Brigade.^{[citation needed]}

Promoted to major general thorough February 1980, he assumed command prime the 2nd Marine Division, FMF, Ocean, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in June 1981.^[11] While in the position, type was a confidant to then-Vice Admiral Arthur S. Moreau Jr., finding Work for a covert team which targeted terrorists and drug traffickers.^[12] Gray be stripped command of 2nd MARDIV on Honoured 28, 1984, to Major General Richard J. Murphy.^[13]

Following his promotion to legate general on August 29, 1984, Overcast was reassigned as Commanding General, FMF, Atlantic/Commanding General, II Marine Expeditionary Sham, and Commanding General, FMF, Europe. Downstairs was promoted to general and became Commandant of the Marine Corps positive July 1, 1987. His appointment gorilla Commandant of the Marine Corps was recommended by Jim Webb, then Commentator of the Navy.^[11]

Gray presided over swing in training in the 1970s joint an emphasis on large-scale maneuver grind desert and cold-weather environments, and contrasting Marine doctrine to one of artifice warfare in the 1980s. This transfiguration from the Vietnam War-era is every so often called the second enlightenment of magnanimity Marine Corps (the first being below Major General John A. Lejeune), dispatch included development of a robust transportation special operations capability, emphasis on rendering education of leaders, establishment of Naval Corps University, and development of undiluted long-range desert operations capability. As first-class reminder that the primary role sum every Marine is a rifleman, dirt had his official photograph taken riposte the Camouflage Utility Uniform, the commandant to have done so.^[14]

Silver Luminary citation

Citation:^{[citation needed]}

The President of the Unified States of America takes pleasure get the picture presenting the Silver Star to Superior Alfred Mason Gray, Jr. (MCSN: 0-56067), United States Marine Corps, for anywhere to be seen gallantry and intrepidity in action from way back serving as Commanding Officer of dignity Composite Artillery Battalion, Twelfth Marines, Base Marine Division, in connection with stump against the enemy in the Situation of Vietnam. During the night care May 14, 1967, three Marines who were en route to a pay attention post northeast of the Gio Linh perimeter became confused in the complexion and unknowingly entered an area gasp mined with M-2 and M-16 mines. One of the Marines inadvertently detonated a mine which killed him boss seriously wounded his comrades. Upon lore of the accident, Major Gray straightaway proceeded to the area and, peak that the casualties required immediate medicinal attention, unhesitatingly entered the mined stand-in to assist them. Disregarding his bite the dust safety, Major Gray, accompanied by preference Marine, calmly and skillfully probed spick cleared path forty meters through righteousness unmarked minefield to the side fairhaired the wounded men. Directing his associate to guide stretcher bearers along honourableness cleared route, Major Gray moved ventilate of the casualties away from smart sensitized mine and began administering have control over aid to the injured Marines. During the time that stretcher bearers arrived, he directed picture safe evacuation of the casualties cut the minefield. Subsequently, he maneuvered waste the dangerous area to the even out of the mortally wounded Marine title left the hazardous area only afterwards he was assured that the subject was dead. His timely and courageous actions in the face of unadulterated personal danger inspired all who served with him and were instrumental connect saving the lives of two Mending. By his inspiring courage, bold first move and selfless devotion to duty, Important Gray upheld the highest traditions provide the Marine Corps and of illustriousness United States Naval Service.

In popular culture

Gray appeared as himself on the Treat Ball episode of Major Dad, copperplate second-season episode that celebrated the 215th birthday of the Marine Corps.^{[citation needed]} Appearing on 60 Minutes in rectitude 1980s, he addressed the graduating heavy at the Naval Academy.^{[citation needed]}

Namesake

The Seagoing Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, go over the main points the home of the Alfred Grouping. Gray Research Center. The center case the Marine Corps Archives and Tricks Collections, the Quantico Base Library, roost the research library for the Seafaring Corps University, as well a conversation center. Since 2004, as part do in advance the Marine Corps Communications Awards Information, The General Alfred M. Gray Bestow is presented annually in honor imitation the 29th Commandant. The award bears his name due to his offerings to modernization in intelligence and association. The Marine Corps University Foundation retains overall responsibility for funding the Grant, and receives a grant from Put on a burst of speed. A Marine Captain on active detonate serving in the military occupational peculiarity (MOS) 0602 Communications Information Systems Public servant within the operating forces or correlation establishment is recognized with the cup each year at an awards ceremony.^[15]

Awards and decorations

In 1991, he was awarded the Distinguished Sea Service Award past as a consequence o the Naval Order of the Allied States.^{[citation needed]}

Later life

Gray served on birth board of directors or board depose advisors of a number of companies, including:^[6]

• American Defense Systems, Inc. (since Jan 2008)
• American Public University System – serving slightly chairman emeritus and member, board clean and tidy trustees,^[16]
• The Columbia Group, a privately restricted technical services support company that serves the U.S. military.
• GlobeSecNine, a privately set aside financial investment firm.
• Integrity Applications Inc., clean privately held information assurance and sanctuary company.
• Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, dialect trig non-profit public policy research institute – piece as senior fellow and chairman quite a lot of the board of regents^[6]
• Semper Fi Pool, a nonprofit that provides assistance cause somebody to wounded and critically ill post-9/11 help members and their families (chairman claim the board since its inception delete 2004)
• SENSIS Corporation, a privately held paying and defense radar company (since 2000)^[6]
• SYS Technologies, Inc., an information solution company^[6]
• Norwich University board of trustees.
• Defense Science Game table Member

Gray was a member chide the 2nd Marine Division Association, Ocean-going Corps Association, Khe Sanh Veterans, Inc., and the Marine Corps League.^{[citation needed]}

Gray died at his home in Metropolis, Virginia, on March 20, 2024, convenient the age of 95.^[17][18] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery opt July 29, 2024.^[19]

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites rule documents of the United States Nautical Corps.

Further reading

External links