Gen. Al Gray, the 29th commandant of the Marine Corps, died Wednesday at 95. During his time as commandant, he oversaw changes including the establishment of the Marine Corps University and the publication of “Warfighting.” (U.S. Marine Corps)
Gen. Al Gray, the 29th commandant of the Marine Corps, died Wednesday at his home in Alexandria, Va., after a brief stay in hospice care, the service announced.
“He was a ‘Marine’s Marine’ — a giant who walked among us during his career and after, remaining one of the Corps’ dearest friends and advocates even into his twilight,” said Gen. Eric M. Smith, the current commandant of the service. “Although he will be missed by all, his legacy will endure and his spirit will continue to live among us.”
Gray, from Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1950 and commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1952, according to his official biography. He served a tour as an artillery officer with the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, and a subsequent tour as an infantry officer with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines.
Gray served for nearly three years in Vietnam before returning to Washington for duty in February 1968. Then-Maj. Gray received the Silver Star Medal for his actions on May 14, 1967, for rushing into a minefield to save an injured Marine, guiding medical attention to the Marine and administering first aid, according to his citation.
Gray was promoted to general and became commandant on July 1, 1987, and retired from the service on June 30, 1991. The general oversaw significant changes to the Marine Corps during his time, including the development and publication of Fleet Marine Force Manual 1, also known as “Warfighting.”
“This document, barely over 100 pages, has become legendary among military doctrine and remains the foundation for how the Marine Corps thinks about, prepares for and executes all Marine Corps operations,” the service said in a statement.
Gray also placed emphasis on large-scale operations in desert and cold-weather environments, as well as robust maritime special operations capabilities. His staunch advocacy for military education resulted in the establishment of Marine Corps University in August 1989 while he was commandant.
He is well known for being the first commandant to have his official photograph and portrait taken in the camouflage utility uniform, famously remarking that “every Marine is, first and foremost, a rifleman. All other conditions are secondary.”
Flags will be flown at half-mast at all Marine Corps installations until March 27.
