Most people know General Al Gray as the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps. His achievements as a transformational Commandant are legendary within the Marine Corps and the military services. However, little is generally known about his years as an enlisted Marine, junior officer and field grade officer. In this book, author Scott Laidig tells us the compelling story of those early years in the life of a unique, charismatic Marine who rose through the ranks to the pinnacle of Marine Corps leadership. Admirers of Al Gray, Marines who served under him and with him, history buffs, students of leadership and of the military, and readers interested in the Vietnam era will all find much to fascinate them in this book, written by a decorated Marine combat veteran of Vietnam.
This volume covers the career of Al Gray from his time as a young sergeant in the Amphibious Recon Platoon, to duty as both an artillery officer and an infantry officer along The Main Line of Resistance in Korea and later while conducting special operations in Vietnam in 1964, through command of Vietnam’s northernmost outpost at Gio Linh in 1967, to assignments in the secretive field of cryptology. The book is rich with personal and historical details, anecdotes and colorful episodes that bring this remarkable Marine’s experiences to life on the page. You will finish this book with a deeper understanding of the qualities that make Al Gray a revered leader with the U.S. Marine Corps, and a true national treasure.
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