WEBVTT 00:01.919 --> 00:05.059 - [Walter E Gaskin Sr] Al Gray is synonymous with greatness. 00:06.349 --> 00:08.779 The greatest impact that he had on me 00:08.789 --> 00:11.159 is because his true belief in training 00:11.699 --> 00:14.500 and his thing of back to the basics so 00:14.510 --> 00:17.299 that we would understand our job and 00:17.309 --> 00:19.770 that we could lead by example. 00:19.909 --> 00:21.680 And he wanted us to be 00:21.680 --> 00:23.787 able to think under pressure. 00:23.787 --> 00:26.178 And his thing was, the more 00:26.178 --> 00:29.835 sweat you put in training, the less blood you should share in war. 00:30.640 --> 00:33.216 - He changed the Marine Corps and he did it 00:33.216 --> 00:34.919 with a lot of pushback. 00:34.919 --> 00:36.720 As they say, there were an awful lot of people saying, 00:36.720 --> 00:39.758 why do enlisted people have to think? 00:39.758 --> 00:41.608 They just have to know how to follow orders. 00:41.608 --> 00:44.227 No, not if you want to be really, really good. 00:44.227 --> 00:46.794 He had a lot of confidence in the ability of Marines. 00:48.327 --> 00:50.591 - [James E Livingston] His biggest concern was taking care of the troops. 00:50.591 --> 00:53.706 And I always admired his concern, 00:53.706 --> 00:56.016 always, about 00:57.020 --> 00:58.526 every Marine. 00:58.526 --> 01:00.604 He always focused on every Marine. 01:00.604 --> 01:02.786 And I really, I tell you, 01:02.786 --> 01:05.012 that really accents Al Gray. 01:05.366 --> 01:08.272 (solemn piano music)