Alfred M. Gray Jr.

Alfred M. Gray, Jr.
29th Commandant of the Marine Corps (1987-1991)
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1950-1991
Rank	General
Commands held	1st Battalion 2nd Marines 2nd Marine Regiment 4th Marine Regiment 33d Marine Amphibious Unit 2nd Marine Division II Marine Expeditionary Force Marine Forces Atlantic Commandant of the Marine Corps
Battles/wars	Korean War Vietnam War
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star Purple Heart

General Alfred M. Gray, Jr. (born June 22, 1928) was the twenty-ninth Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Marine Corps service

Gray enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1950. He served overseas with Fleet Marine Force (FMF), Pacific, attaining the rank of sergeant before being commissioned a second lieutenant in April 1952. His early tours included service with 11th Marines and 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in Korea, the 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., during which he saw service in Guantanamo Bay and Vietnam.

As a major, Gray joined the 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam in October 1965, serving concurrently as regimental communications officer, regimental training officer, and artillery aerial observer. He took command of the Composite Artillery Battalion and U.S. Free World Forces at Gio Linh in April 1967. In September 1967, Gray was reassigned to the III Marine Amphibious Force in Da Nang where he commanded the 1st Radio Battalion elements throughout I Corps until February 1968. Following a brief tour in the United States, he returned to Vietnam from June to September 1969 in conjunction with surveillance and reconnaissance matters in the I Corps area.

After his Vietnam tour, Gray served as Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, Battalion Landing Team 1/2; the 2nd Marine Regiment; the 4th Marine Regiment; and Camp Commander of Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan. While commanding the 33rd Marine Amphibious Unit and Regimental Landing Team-4, and concurrently serving as Deputy Commander, 9th Marines Amphibious Brigade, Gray directed the Southeast Asia evacuation operations in 1975.

Advanced to brigadier general in March 1976, General Gray served as Commanding General, Landing Force Training Command, Atlantic, and the 4th Marine Amphibious Brigade. Promoted to major general in February 1980, he assumed command of the 2nd Marine Division, FMF, Atlantic, Camp Lejueune, N.C., in June 1981. Following his promotion to lieutenant general on August 29, 1984, he was reassigned as Commanding General, FMF, Atlantic/Commanding General, II MAF, and Commanding General, FMF, Europe. General Gray was promoted to general and became Commandant of the Marine Corps on July 1, 1987.

His appointment as Commandant of the Marine Corps was advocated by Jim Webb, then Secretary of the Navy.

Television Appearances

Gen Gray appeared on the Birthday Ball episode of Major Dad, a second season episode that celebrated the 215th birthday of the Marine Corps. He appeared as himself.

Namesake

The Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia is the home of the Alfred M. Gray Research Center. The center houses the Marine Corps Archives and Special Collections, the Quantico Base Library, and the research library for the Marine Corps University, as well a conference center. General Gray routinely stops by to donate his recently read books.

Awards and decorations

General Gray’s personal decorations and awards include:

	Navy Distinguished Service Medal
	Silver Star
	Legion of Merit (with Combat “V” and a gold star in lieu of a second award)
	Bronze Star (with Combat “V” and three gold stars in lieu of second, third and fourth awards)
	Purple Heart (with gold star in lieu of a second Purple Heart)
	Meritorious Service Medal
	Joint Service Commendation Medal
	Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
	Combat Action Ribbon (with a gold star in lieu of a second award)

See also

• List of Korean War veterans who are recipients of the Bronze Star

References

• "General Alfred M. Gray, Jr., USMC". Who's Who in Marine Corps History. History Division, United States Marine Corps.

• "Nomination of Lieutenant General Alfred M. Gray, Jr., To Be Commandant of the Marine Corps". Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. June 16, 1987. Retrieved 2007-05-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)