Gen. Alfred M. Gray Jr. was the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps from 1987 to 1991, who focused on revitalizing the corps.
- Died: March 20, 2024 (Who else died on March 20?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Alexandria, Virginia, at the age of 95.
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Alfred M. Gray Jr.’s legacy
Gray enlisted in the Marines in 1950, and he quickly established himself as a leader. He rose quickly in the ranks as he fought in the Korean War, and within two years he was a sergeant. By the war’s end, he had made the military his career, and he fought again in the Vietnam War, commanding an artillery unit. He was honored with a Silver Star for his heroism in 1967 as he evacuated Marines who had been wounded in a minefield. In 1975, as the U.S. evacuated Vietnam, Gray directed Operation Frequent Wind, a mission in which thousands of people were evacuated from the country by helicopter.
Shortly after the end of the Vietnam War, Gray was promoted to brigadier general, and by 1987, he was a general and appointed to lead the Marine Corps in a move that surprised some. He wasn’t an obvious choice for the job, and those who opposed the choice said he lacked the polish needed in a leader, but his supporters pointed to his focus on results over appearance. That focus was much needed in a Marine Corps that had recently been tainted by the terrorist attack that killed 241 U.S. service members in Beirut.
Gray, then a two-star general with no direct responsibility for the troops in Lebanon, nevertheless worked to contain the damage done, and he attended dozens of funerals for service members who were lost in the attack. His leadership in the crisis helped prepare him to lead the Marine Corps in a tenure that emphasized knowledge and innovation. Gray established Marine Corps University, bringing together several smaller schools into one. He commissioned the book “Warfighting,” which introduced a new, more nimble style of training for Marines. He instituted a reading list for Marines, inspiring them to more fully understand their work.
Gray was lauded for his connection with the Marines under his command, referred to as a “Marine’s Marine.” He commanded the Marines until his retirement in 1991 as a four-star general. In 2015, the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies published the book “Grayisms,” collecting many of the former commander’s sayings and wisdom.
Notable quote
“In my humble opinion, the military is going overboard on information and underboard, if that’s a word, on knowledge. And we ought to concentrate more on knowledge and what that means, and less on information.” —as quoted in “Grayisms”
Tributes to Alfred M. Gray Jr.
Full obituary: The Washington Post
