Name: Olin M. Gray Hometown: Alton KIA: No DOD: November 3, 2013 Branch: 4th Marine Raider Battalion Wars: WWII Medals Earned: Distinguished Service Cross Message: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Private Olin M. Gray (MCSN: 458574), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company Q, FOURTH Marine Raider Battalion, in the early part of the engagement at Bairoko Harbor, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, on 20 July 1943. After all the other men in his machine-gun squad had been either killed or wounded, Private Gray, on his own initiative, took over the gun and manned it single-handedly with spectacular daring and zeal during the entire action. He repeatedly exposed himself purposely to the Japanese and boldly invited fire so that their gun position
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