John P. Gray
Encyclopedia
John P. Gray was a United States Navy
officer who received the Navy Cross
posthumously for his actions in combat during World War II
.
, Missouri
, on 22 December 1914. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 12 October 1939, was appointed Aviation Cadet in 1940, and underwent flight training, and was commissioned as an ensign
. Gray then served at several naval air station
s before reporting to Torpedo Squadron 2 in October 1940. Healter transferred for temporary duty to Torpedo Squadron 8 aboard the aircraft carrier
USS Hornet (CV-8)
, and reached the rank of lieutenant, junior grade
.
As a Douglas
TBD-1 Devastator
torpedo bomber
pilot
in Torpedo Squadron 8, Gray took part in the pivotal Battle of Midway
on 4 June 1942. Gray and the rest of the squadron gallantly attacked the Japan
ese aircraft carriers without fighter
cover and in the face of withering antiaircraft fire and heavy Japanese fighter opposition. Though all of Torpedo Squadron 8s aircraft were shot down, they succeeded in diverting Japanese fighter cover and preventing further launches of Japanese carrier aircraft, thus contributing mightily to the United States Navys victory in the battle. Gray was killed during the attack.
awarded to Torpedo Squadron Eight for its actions in the Battle of Midway.
USS John P. Gray (DE-673) was named for Gray. She was converted during construction into the high-speed transport USS John P. Gray (APD-74)
and was in commission
as such from 1945 to 1946.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
officer who received the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
posthumously for his actions in combat during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Naval career
John Porter Gray was born in Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, on 22 December 1914. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve on 12 October 1939, was appointed Aviation Cadet in 1940, and underwent flight training, and was commissioned as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
. Gray then served at several naval air station
Naval Air Station
A Naval Air Station is a military airbase, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of their Navy...
s before reporting to Torpedo Squadron 2 in October 1940. Healter transferred for temporary duty to Torpedo Squadron 8 aboard the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
USS Hornet (CV-8)
USS Hornet (CV-8)
USS Hornet CV-8, the seventh ship to carry the name Hornet, was a of the United States Navy. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and participated in the Battle of Midway and the Buin-Faisi-Tonolai Raid...
, and reached the rank of lieutenant, junior grade
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
.
As a Douglas
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
TBD-1 Devastator
TBD Devastator
The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, first flying in 1935 and entering service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world...
torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
in Torpedo Squadron 8, Gray took part in the pivotal Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
on 4 June 1942. Gray and the rest of the squadron gallantly attacked the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese aircraft carriers without fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
cover and in the face of withering antiaircraft fire and heavy Japanese fighter opposition. Though all of Torpedo Squadron 8s aircraft were shot down, they succeeded in diverting Japanese fighter cover and preventing further launches of Japanese carrier aircraft, thus contributing mightily to the United States Navys victory in the battle. Gray was killed during the attack.
Awards
Gray was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for his heroism, and shared in the Presidential Unit CitationPresidential Unit Citation
The Presidential Unit Citation is a senior unit award granted to military units which have performed an extremely meritorious or heroic act, usually in the face of an armed enemy...
awarded to Torpedo Squadron Eight for its actions in the Battle of Midway.
Commemoration
The U.S. Navy destroyer escortDestroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
USS John P. Gray (DE-673) was named for Gray. She was converted during construction into the high-speed transport USS John P. Gray (APD-74)
USS John P. Gray (APD-74)
USS John P. Gray , ex-DE-673, was a United States Navy high-speed transport in commission from 1944 to 1946.-Construction and commissioning:John P. Gray was laid down as the Buckley-class destroyer escort USS John P...
and was in commission
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
as such from 1945 to 1946.