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 --> 00:22.409 And he wanted us to be able to think 00:22.420 --> 00:25.690 under pressure. And his thing was the 00:25.700 --> 00:27.756 more sweat you put into training, the 00:27.756 --> 00:29.872 less blood you would share in war. 00:30.640 --> 00:33.216 - He changed the Marine Corps and he did it 00:33.216 --> 00:35.382 with a lot of pushback. As they say, 00:35.382 --> 00:37.271 there were an awful lot of people 00:37.271 --> 00:39.493 saying, why do enlisted people have to 00:39.493 --> 00:41.605 think? They just have to know how to 00:41.605 --> 00:43.771 follow orders. No, not if you want to 00:43.771 --> 00:45.993 be really, really good. He had a lot 00:45.993 --> 00:48.327 of confidence in the ability of Marines. 00:48.327 --> 00:50.493 - [James E Livingston] His biggest concern was taking care of 00:50.493 --> 00:52.819 the troops. And I always admired his 00:52.849 --> 00:55.549 concern, always, about 00:57.020 --> 00:59.479 every Marine. He always focused on 00:59.490 --> 01:02.299 every Marine. And I really, I tell you, 01:02.310 --> 01:04.339 that really accents Al Gray. 01:05.366 --> 01:08.272 (solemn piano music)