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About the Author |
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Called to Honor Memoirs of a Three-War Veteran World War II • Korea • Vietnam |
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John Edward Gray is a thirty-year military career veteran, beginning in World War II when he volunteered at seventeen as a Marine. He served on the USS Maryland as an anti-aircraft gunner in five campaigns against the Japanese in the Pacific. After the war, Gray transferred to the Marine Corps Reserve, resumed his education at Davidson College, and graduated with a BS degree and a commission in the Regular Army. When the Korean War broke out, Gray joined the combat there as mortar platoon leader of M Company, 31st Infantry, 7th Infantry Division. In Korea, he participated in the Inchon Invasion, and later became one of the few members of Task Force Faith at the Chosin Reservoir to survive the overwhelming, brutal, five-day assault of massive Chinese forces, while enduring temperatures of thirty-five degrees below zero at “Frozen Chosin.”
In 1974, Gray retired as a colonel and enjoyed a second career in interstate truck transportation management. Married since 24 August 1947, Gray and his wife Sue have six children and twelve grandchildren. In his retirement, Gray has turned his attention to veterans activities, lobbying Congress successfully for disability and service benefits. He is active in the Legion of Valor of the USA, the USS Maryland BB 46 Association, and The Chosin Few (the 3,800 survivors of the Korean War Chosin Reservoir campaign), for which he has served multiple terms as president. |
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After recovering from his wounds and cold injuries and completing his Korean War tour as a machine gun platoon leader, Gray transferred to the Corps of Engineers and served in many diverse command, instructor, field staff, Pentagon staff, and management positions, including additional combat service in Vietnam as an engineer battalion and group commander. His many decorations include the Army Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism; the Silver Star for gallantry in action; the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters; the Bronze Star for valor; the Purple Heart with three oak leaf clusters; the Army Commendation Medal; and the Republic of Korea’s highest award for valor, the Chungmu Distinguished Military Service Medal with Gold Star. (Refer to Appendix D for a complete list of decorations and campaign awards.) He also holds the prestigious U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Silver de Fleury Medal for outstanding accomplishments and service. Academic achievements include an MBA from Syracuse University, an MS from American University, and diplomas from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. |
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