Gen. Gray pressed for curiosity and problem-solving as the Marine Corps charted a long, uneven comeback from the Vietnam War and the Beirut barracks bombing.
Retired Marine Corps Gen. Alfred M. Gray Jr., a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who helped lead U.S. forces during the evacuation of Saigon and became a transformational leader of the Marine Corps as commandant from 1987 to 1991, died March 20 at his home in Alexandria, Va. He was 95.With a booming voice, gruff demeanor and a relish for swapping stories with enlisted Marines, Gen. Gray endeared himself to rank-and-file troops.
Indeed, Gen. Gray stood out at the time for his distinct lack of polish. He had enlisted in the Marine Corps as a private in 1950 and had no college degree. He spent years at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Okinawa, and Quantico, Va., and was an expert in electronic warfare, but he had limited time in the kind of Washington staff positions that mark one for advancement to the highest level.
, he told assembled Marines that there were “tough, hard decisions that have to be made now, and they cannot be made if your commandant wants to run a popularity contest.” The segment showed him puffing on a cigar and carried the headline “Papa Bear” — a reference to his radio call sign.Within his first two years as commandant, Gen. Gray launched several efforts that have endured.
Gen. Gray entered Lafayette College in Pennsylvania on an athletic scholarship but left after three years for what he described as financial reasons. After doing construction and other jobs in manual labor, he enlisted in the Marines at the start of the Korean War. He rose rapidly, becoming a sergeant within about two years and then commissioning as an officer.Deployed to Vietnam, he served as the commanding officer of an artillery unit.
with “V” device noting combat, four Bronze Stars with “V” device and three awards of the Purple Heart.In 1975, as Saigon fell to North Vietnamese soldiers and the United States evacuated, Gen. Gray oversaw a regiment of Marines in the mission that — under intensely stressful circumstances — deftly helped remove more than 7,000 people by helicopter on April 29 and 30.
日本 最新ニュース, 日本 見出し
Similar News:他のニュース ソースから収集した、これに似たニュース記事を読むこともできます。
Gen X Woman Schools Gen Zers, Millennials on Reality of Being 'Middle-Aged''Before all you little keyboard warriors out there tell me the middle age is 35, I don't subscribe to that,' she said.
続きを読む »
Retired commandant who was ‘widely beloved’ by Marines dies at 95Retired Gen. Al Gray, who served as the 29th commandant of the Marine Corps from 1987 to 1991, died at the age of 95 Wednesday after an extended period in hospice care.
続きを読む »
10 Best Alfred Hitchcock Villains, RankedLuc Haasbroek is a writer and videographer from Durban, South Africa. A lifelong movie nerd, he&039;s written for sites like Paste and Briefly. Luc has also worked behind the camera on short films and other projects. When not writing or watching LOTR marathons, Luc hangs out with his cats and generally forgets where he&039;s left his keys.
続きを読む »
No details spared training Marines to secure embassies during Steel Knight exercise at Camp PendletonThe annual large-scale training event titled Steel Knight took place at Camp Pendleton on Wednesday. It involved Marines with the 1st Marine Division and 3rd…
続きを読む »
This Alfred Hitchcock Thriller Should've Used Its Sinister Alternate EndingTanChun is a traveling film director and screenwriter who believes in positive Asian representation in Hollywood.
続きを読む »
Alfred Hitchcock Wanted His First American Movie To Be About the TitanicLiam Gaughan is a film and TV writer at Collider. He has been writing film reviews and news coverage for ten years. Between relentlessly adding new titles to his watchlist and attending as many screenings as he can, Liam is always watching new movies and television shows.
続きを読む »