Harry Gray
Harry Gifford Gray was born November 11th, 1931 in Bakersfield, California. He attended East Bakersfield High School where he met the love of his life, Helen Larrainzar, and was subsequently married to her in his Air Force uniform. While serving overseas in Korea, he would petition successfully to have an F86 fighter named after Helen. Harry was a staunch believer in hard work, equality, and fair treatment; skills he honed while in the Air Force. He passed these traits on to his family; he was loved as a kind man who worked hard for his loved ones and country.
Service Record
Harry Gray began active service in the United States Air Force on February 8th, 1951. Boot camp was completed at Lackland Air Force Base in Bexar County, Texas. Harry Gray began his specialization as an Air Force mechanic in Tillamook, Oregon from May 1951 until August 1951. His education continued at the Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois from August 1951 until September 1951. He took leave for 30 days after completing his training, then shipped overseas to the K2 Air Force Base in Daegu, Korea where he served as a mechanic from December 1951 until November 1952. After the Armistice, Harry Gray was stationed in Fairchild Air Force Base in Fairchild, Washington from December 1951 through July 10th 1953 when he was honorably discharged and transferred to Inactive Reserves. He received his final discharge on July 10th 1958.
Arlington Aeronautical School - Tillamook, Oregon - 1951
Arlington Aeronautical School – Tillamook, Oregon – 1951
1st Row – Left to Right
Bill Moore – Chicago, Illinois/Eldon Johnson – Paxton, Illinois/Ralph Balintine – Texas/Jerry Darling – Sacramento, California/Harry Gray – Bakersfield, California/Klein – Wisconsin/Montgomery – Missouri/Gibson – California/Myer – Indiana/Gallup – Illinois/Jirka – Nebraska/Vardamin – Indiana/”Lenny” – Minnesota/Anderson – North Carolina
2nd Row – Left to Right
Rocko – Illinois/McCapes – San Luis Obispo, California/Shargi – New Orleans/Wicks – Texas/Kerr – Inglewood, California/Shultz – Ohio/Dillon – Michigan/Housg – Missouri/Henry – Missouri/Seal – Indiana/Prussia – Nebraska/Huntley – Hawaii/Meeks -Iowa
3rd Row – Left to Right
Alexander – Michigan/Blue – Utah/Nagle – Chicago, Illinois/Walters – Iowa/Pachicco – Sacramento, California/Whitfield – North Carolina/Arbor – Louisiana/Conway – Chicago, Illinois/Langieng – San Francisco, California/Woods – Washington/Torpey – Washington/Fowler – Minnesota/Real – South Carolina
4th Row – Left to Right
Paterson – Tennessee/Nance – North Carolina/”Jake” – Chicago, Illinois/Scott – Washington/”Red” – Indiana/Strelow – Michigan/Oase – Washington/Hisey – Indiana/Nusser – California/Walton – Georgia/Hibbs – California
Arlington Aeronautical School - Tillamook, Oregon - 1951
Boysan – “Korean Houseboy eating Hi Ho Crackers like mad”
March 1952 – Korea
Boysan – “Korean Houseboy eating Hi Ho Crackers like mad” March 1952 – Korea
Sunbathing Air Force – Don Puich
Tillamook Oregon – Air Force Mechanic Training
Sunbathing Air Force – Don Puich Tillamook Oregon – Air Force Mechanic Training
Harry Gray aboard friend’s plane.
December 1951
Harry Gray aboard friend’s plane. December 1951
Harry posing in front of the Willamette River prior to heading overseas.
Portland Oregon – 1951
Harry posing in front of the Willamette River prior to heading overseas. Portland Oregon – 1951
Military Payment Certificate
Military Payment Certificate
Getting Tricky on Base
Getting Tricky on Base
Re-United in Portland
Korean War - Key Events
April 25, 1951
Vastly outnumbered UN forces check the Chinese advance on Seoul at the Battles of Kapyong and the Imjin River. Two Commonwealth battalions—the 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Regiment and the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment—rebuff an entire Chinese division at Kapyong, and 4,000 men of the British 29th Brigade stage a successful delaying action against nearly 30,000 troops of the Chinese 63rd Army at the Imjin River. Some 650 men of the 1st Battalion, the Gloucestershire Regiment (the “Glorious Glosters”), engage in a Thermopylae-like stand against more than 10,000 Chinese infantry at Imjin. Although the overwhelming majority of the Glosters are killed or captured, their sacrifice allows UN forces to consolidate their lines around the South Korean capital.
These events are taken from the Encyclopedia Britannica
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