Sergeant Ross F. Gray - MCRD - San Diego, CA - Specific Veteran Memorials on Waymarking.com

County of painting: San Diego County
Location of memorial: Hochmuth Ave, James L. Day Hall Museum, MCRD
MCRD: Marine Corps Recruit Depot
Artist: Alvin B. Grant

Plaque Text:
Sergeant Ross F. Gray
While serving as a platoon sergeant with Company A, 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division on Iwo Jima. Sgt Gray received the Medal of Honor for actions on 21 February 1945. Displaying great courage and initiative, he personally destroyed a series of fortifications and mine fields. Alone and armed with only a satchel charge he made twelve trips, destroying six enemy positions. Sgt Gray was killed six days later on 27 February by an enemy shell.

His MOH Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Acting Platoon Sergeant serving with Company A, First Battalion, Twenty-Fifth Marines, Fourth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 21 February 1945. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation when his platoon was heldup by a sudden barrage of hostile grenades while advancing toward the high ground northeast of Airfield Number One, Sergeant Gray promptly organized the withdrawal of his men from enemy grenade range, quickly moved forward alone to reconnoiter and discovered a heavily mined area extending along the front of a strong network of emplacements joined by covered communication trenches. Although assailed by furious gunfire, he cleared a path leading through the mine field to oneof the fortifications then returned to the platoon position and, informing his leader of the serious situation, volunteered to initiate an attack while being covered by three fellow Marines. Alone and unarmed but carrying a twenty-four pound satchel charge, he crept up the Japanese emplacement, boldly hurled the short-fused explosive and sealed the entrance. Instantly taken under machine-gun fire from a second entrance to the same position, he unhesitatingly braved the increasingly vicious fusillades to crawl back for another charge, returned to his objective and blasted the second opening, thereby demolishing the position. Repeatedly covering the ground between the savagely defended enemy fortifications and his platoon area, he systematically approached, attacked and withdrew under blanketing fire to destroy a total of six Japanese positions, more than twenty-five of the enemy and a quantity of vital ordnance gear and ammunition. Stouthearted and indomitable, Sergeant Gray had single-handedly overcome a strong enemy garrison and had completely disarmed a large mine field before finally rejoining his unit and, by his great personal valor, daring tactics and tenacious perseverance in the face of extreme peril, had contributed materially to the fulfillment of his company's mission. His gallant conduct throughout enhanced and sustained the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.