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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representative are saddened to learn of the death of Lieutenant
4General D'Wayne Gray, USMC (Ret.) of Falls Church, Virginia,
5who passed away on March 2, 2014; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Lt. Gen. Gray was born in Corsicana, Texas on
7April 9, 1931; he graduated from North Side High School in Fort
8Worth, Texas and earned his bachelor's degree from the
9University of Texas in 1952; in 1971, he received his master's
10degree in International Affairs from George Washington
11University in Washington, D.C. and completed the executive
12program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of
13Government; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Lt. Gen. Gray's military career spanned 35 years
15of service to the United States Marine Corps; he began as a
16private in the reserves and, following graduation from the
17Naval ROTC program at the University of Texas in 1952, he
18entered the Marine Corps; he served a combat tour in Korea and
192 combat tours in Vietnam; after being promoted to general, he
20held a succession of positions at Marine Corps headquarters in
21Washington, D.C., culminating in Chief of Staff; he concluded
22his service as commander of the Marine Corps forces in the
23United States Pacific Command, comprising two-thirds of the

 

 

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1operating forces of the Marine Corps; he retired in October of
21987 as a 3-star general; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Lt. Gen. Gray's has been awarded numerous medals
4and decorations throughout his service, including the Legion of
5Merit with a Combat "V" and a gold star in lieu of a second
6star, the Meritorious Service Medal with a gold star in lieu of
7a second award, the Air Medal with Numeral 5, the Joint Service
8Commendation Medal with Combat "V", the Navy Commendation Medal
9with Combat "V", and the Combat Action Ribbon; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Following retirement from the Marine Corps, Lt.
11Gen. Gray served as chief executive officer of the Montgomery
12Country Revenue Authority; in 1989, President George H.W. Bush
13nominated him to be the first Under Secretary for Benefits in
14the newly created cabinet-level Department of Veterans
15Affairs; he remained in that position until November of 1992;
16he has been a member of the board of directors of the United
17States Naval Institute in Annapolis, Maryland, a naval
18publisher, and chairman of its editorial board; he served on
19the board of directors of The Retired Officers Association and
20was a member of Maritime Policy Study Group of the Center for
21Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Lt. Gen. Gray was a member of The Arimatheans, a
23group of older men who serve as altar boys to assist in

 

 

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1Catholic funeral masses for military members; he was a core
2member of Tertulia, a monthly lunch and discussion group on
3public policy issues and a member and one of the organizers of
4Lake Barcroft Village; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Lt. Gen. Gray is survived by his wife of 58 years,
6Joan Gray; his son, Stephen Gray; his daughters, Elizabeth
7(Jeffrey) Hendrickson and Theresa (Dr. John) Croghan; his
8grandson, Matthew Hendrickson; and his granddaughters, Rosie,
9Elizabeth, and Mary; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
11NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
12we mourn the passing of Lieutenant General D'Wayne Gray, USMC
13(Ret.), and extend our sincere condolences to his family,
14friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16presented to the family of Lt. Gen. Gray as an expression of
17our deepest sympathy.