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General
Alfred M. Gray, Jr., 29th Commandant of the Marine
Corps, was born 22 June 1928 and hails from Point
Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. He enlisted in the Marine
Corps in 1950 and served overseas with the Amphibious
Reconnaissance Platoon, Fleet Marine Force (FMF),
Pacific, attaining the rank of sergeant. He was commissioned
a second lieutenant on 9 April 1952.
After attending The Basic School,
at Quantico, Virginia, and the Field Artillery School,
Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he joined the 1st Marine Division
in Korea. He served a tour as an artillery officer
with the 2d Battalion, 11th Marines, and a subsequent
tour as an infantry officer with the 1st Battalion,
7th Marines. In October 1953, he was promoted to first
lieutenant.
Returning to the United States in
December 1954, Lt Gray was assigned to the 8th Marines,
2d Marine Division, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina,
until August 1955, when he attended the Communications
Officer School, Quantico. He was promoted to captain
in July 1955. From April 1956 until May 1961, Capt
Gray served overseas in special command billets.
In May 1961, he was assigned to Headquarters
Marine Corps (HQMC), Washington, D.C., for duty as
special operations and plans officer, G-2 Division.
During his tour he saw service in Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba and in Vietnam. He was promoted to major in February
1963.
Major Gray joined the 12th Marines,
3d Marine Division, in Vietnam in October 1965, serving
concurrently as Regimental Communications Officer;
Regimental S-3 Officer and Artillery Aerial Observer.
In April 1967, he was assigned command of the Composite
Artillery Battalion and the U.S. Free World Forces
at Gio Linh. In September 1967, he was reassigned
to the III Marine Amphibious Force in DaNang, where
he commanded the 1st Radio Battalion elements throughout
I Corps. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in
October 1967.
In February 1968, he returned to Washington,
D.C., for duty with the Defense Special Projects Group
as Chief, Intelligence and Operations Division.
He
was reassigned to the Marine Corps Development and
Education Command at Quantico, in November 1968, and
was tasked with the development of interim doctrine
for employment of sensor technology in the Marine
Corps. During the period of June-September 1969, LtCol
Gray returned to Vietnam in conjunction with surveillance
and reconnaissance matters in the I Corps Area.
Upon his return to Quantico, he was
assigned duty as Chief, Intelligence and Reconnaissance
Division, at the Development Center, until August
1970. He attended the Command and Staff College and
upon completing the course in June 1971, was transferred
to the 2d Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, where he
assumed command of the 1st Battalion, 2d Marines,
and Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/2. The BLT was
deployed to the Mediterranean in September 1971, as
part of the 34th Marine Amphibious Unit, and returned
to the U.S. in March 1972. LtCol Gray commanded the
2d Marines from April through December 1972, when
he was reassigned as Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3,
2d Marine Division. He was promoted to colonel in
August 1972.
Colonel Gray attended the Army War
College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, from August
1973 to June 1974, and upon graduation, was assigned
to the 3d Marine Division on Okinawa, as Commanding
Officer, 4th Marines and Camp Commander, Camp Hansen.
He later served as CO, 33d MAU/CO, RLT-4/DepCdr, 9th
MAB, during the Southeast Asia evacuation operations.
Reassigned to HQMC in August 1975,
he was assigned duty as Deputy Director, Training
and Education Division, Manpower Department. He was
advanced to brigadier general on 24 March 1976, and
presided over a special group on the Marine Corps
Reserve until 11 June 1976, when he was assigned duties
as Commanding General, Landing Force Training Command,
Atlantic, and Commanding General, 4th Marine Amphibious
Brigade. He served as the Deputy for Development/Director,
Development Center, Marine Corps Development and Education
Command, Quantico, from October 1978 to May 1981.
While serving in this capacity, he was selected in
January 1980 for promotion to major general. He was
promoted to that grade in February 1980, with a date
rank of 1 April 1976.
On 4 June 1981, MajGen Gray was assigned
duty as the Commanding General, 2d Marine Division,
FMF, Atlantic, Camp Lejeune. Following his promotion
to lieutenant general on 29 August 1984, he assumed
duties as Commanding General, FMF, Atlantic/Commanding
General, II MAF and Commanding General, FMF, Europe.
General Gray was promoted to the rank of general and
assumed the office of Commandant of the Marine Corps
on 1 July 1987.
General Gray retired on 30 June 1991
and resides in the Northern Virginia area.
General Gray’s personal decorations
and awards include: the Distinguished Service Medal;
the Silver Star Medal; the Legion of Merit with Combat
“V” and a gold star in lieu of a second
award; the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V”
and three gold stars in lieu of second, third and
fourth awards; the Purple Heart with a gold star in
lieu of a second Purple Heart; the Meritorious Service
Medal; the Joint Service Commendation Medal; the Navy
Commendation Medal; and the Combat Action Ribbon with
a gold star in lieu of a second award.
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UNITED
STATES MARINE CORPS
