The federal lieutenant flag at nearby defense bases will be at half- pole for 29 days, marking the death of Gen.  , Alfred Gray, the 29th , Marine Corps , chief and famous Marine who rose from the rank and file and helped set the foundation for how , Marines , fight.
” Now I mourn with all , Marines, past and present, the loss of our 29th captain, Gen. Gray”, said Gen.  , Eric Smith, the captain of the , Marine Corps. He was a” General’s Marine,” a giant who remained one of the Corps’s closest friends and advocates perhaps into his final years. He walked among us during his career and afterwards.
Gray died on , Wednesday, March 20, in his house in , Virginia , after a little care be. He was 95.
He served as the 29th Marine captain from , July 1, 1987, to , June 30, 1991, retiring after 41 years of service after enlisting as a secret in 1950 and commissioning as a second colonel in 1952. After pensions, he remained involved with Marine activities programs and organizations such as the , Marine Corps Association and Foundation, the , Semper Fi Fund, the , Potomac Institute , and different occasions.
Smith claimed that Gray created the theory that serves as the basis for the Marines ‘ current warfighting. Though it is only 100 websites much, Smith called it “legendary” and said it teaches , Marines , how to” suppose, prepare and do” warfighting.
Gray placed a focus on large-scale maneuvers in plain and cold-weather environments as well as powerful maritime special operations, as well as setting the foundation.
Camp Pendleton , and Twentynine Palms are example and use their landscape to facilitate large , monthly tasks that help  , Marines , be available.  , Camp Pendleton , covers 125, 000 acres, including 17.5 miles of shoreline,  , perfect for amphibious assault training.  , Inland at Twentynine Palms,  , Marines , train constantly, and there is enough maneuvering space to facilitate brigade- size ( 15, 000 , Marines ) training exercises.
As a bonus, the Navy ‘s , San Clemente Island , — 55 miles west of , Orange County , — is one of the military’s most valuable assets as the nation’s only , ship- to- shore live- fire , training range. The region is home to 85 % of the , Defense Department , airspace for training maneuvers and 67 % of the Marine Corps ‘ live- fire training ranges.
While embracing the fundamentals of warfighting, Gray believed in educating , Marines , and valued critical thinking. In 1989, he established the , Marine Corps University. He mandated them to read books on a range of subjects relevant to their responsibilities, which came to be known as the” Commandant’s Reading List.”
He gained notoriety for being the first commandant to have his official photo and portrait taken in a camouflage utility uniform. He said,” Every Marine is, first and foremost, a rifleman. All other conditions are secondary”.
Charlie Quilter, a Marine fighter , pilot and military historian, sees that focus on the troops as one of Gray’s most significant impacts.
” I think his service as an enlisted man in , Korea , gave him a bottom- up view of what it takes to be a leader”, said Quilter, adding that Gray made important changes in the Corps ‘ culture.
He promoted the idea of “manoeuvre warfare,” a quick-paced style of warfighting where field leaders were empowered to exploit circumstances that otherwise might not be lost while bucking a course of command decision, according to Quiter. He meant even corporals and sergeants on the pointy end right down to the squad level when he said “leaders.”  ,  , This was a real cultural revolution”.
Quilter remembered meeting Gray in , Saudi Arabia , as Desert Storm was building up and described him as” an older but stout Marine” walking alone outside a secure area.
” This was against orders, so I caught up with him”, Quilter said. ” Colonels do n’t say’ sir’ to many, but as he turned around, I saw the four stars, which could only mean this man was the commandant of the , Marine Corps. Thinking quickly, I said,’ Sir, can I help you? This is not a secure location, and I would feel awful if someone struck the Commandant while I was nearby.
” He laughed, and I do think he actually was a bit lost in the dark”, Quilter said. He was returned to his hut in an abandoned but safe oil workers camp as I led him.
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