{"id":423626,"date":"2025-04-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=423626"},"modified":"2025-04-23T22:34:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T22:34:18","slug":"fort-cavazos-joins-killeen-vsos-to-honor-bob-gray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=423626","title":{"rendered":"Fort Cavazos joins Killeen, VSOs to honor Bob Gray"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Relatives of Robert Manning Gray, seated, from left, Regina Elson, Melody Bruning, Richard Bruning, Page Elson and Mark Manning, listen as speakers discuss Capt. Robert \u201cBob\u201d Manning Gray\u2019s achievements and legacy April 17, 2025, at the Greater Killeen Regional Airport in Killeen, Texas. Gray was a Killeen native and pilot who participated in Doolittle\u2019s Raid on Tokyo during World War II.
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\n From left, U.S. Army Garrison-Fort Cavazos Garrison Commander Col. Lakicia Stokes, Regina Elson, Melody Bruning, Mark Manning, Killeen Mayor Debbie Nash-King, Richard Bruning, Page Elson and U.S. Army Garrision-Fort Cavazos Command Sgt. Maj. Loyd Rhoades stand with the 2025 Bob Gray Day proclamation April 17, 2025, in Killeen, Texas.
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KILLEEN, Texas \u2014<\/strong> U.S. Army Garrison\u2013Fort Cavazos leaders Col. Lakicia Stokes and Command Sgt. Maj. Loyd Rhoades joined Killeen Mayor Debbie Nash-King to mark Bob Gray Day April 17 at the Greater Killeen Regional Airport. A handful of Gray\u2019s relatives, along with representatives from local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters, were on hand to mark the occasion.<\/p>\n

Robert \u201cBob\u201d Manning Gray was born in Killeen in 1919. He commissioned into the U.S. Army Air Corps as a second lieutenant in 1940. Gray was one of the 16 pilots selected for Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle\u2019s raid over Tokyo on April 18, 1942. Six months later, Gray was killed in action on Oct. 18, 1942, when his B-25 bomber crashed near Burma during combat operations.<\/p>\n

At the ceremony, Stokes spoke about Gray\u2019s tenacity.<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain Gray\u2019s journey is one of ambition, perseverance and remarkable achievement,\u201d she said, noting his education at Tarleton State and Texas A&M Universities, his service in the Army Air Corps and participation in Doolittle\u2019s Raid.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn April 18, 1942, during Doolittle\u2019s Raid, his selfless courage exemplified his unwavering commitment to duty,\u201d she said. \u201cFacing overwhelming odds, he and his fellow aviators undertook a mission that would change the course of history, exemplifying the highest ideas of military service.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gray was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, a medal given to service members for heroism in aerial flight, for his actions over Tokyo.<\/p>\n

Gray is the namesake of Robert Gray Army Airfield, the military side of the airfield operations, located across the shared tarmac from the regional airport. He is also memorialized with Gray Street in downtown Killeen and through a large bronze statue of his likeness inside the Greater Killeen Regional Airport.<\/p>\n

Each year, Killeen marks April 18 as Bob Gray Day in his honor, an observance first instituted by former Killeen Mayor R.T. Polk in 1943, according to the city\u2019s website, killeentexas.gov<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s commemoration was held a day early because of the Good Friday holiday on April 18.<\/p>\n

During a brief ceremony held in the airport terminal near displays honoring Gray, his legacy of service and selfless sacrifice was noted.<\/p>\n

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\n Killeen Mayor Debbie Nash-King reads the 2025 Bob Gray Day proclamation April 17, 2025, as relatives of Capt. Robert \u201cBob\u201d Manning Gray look on during a ceremony held at the Greater Killeen Regional Airport to honor the Killeen native for whom Robert Gray Army Airfield and Gray Street in Killeen, Texas, are named.
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\n U.S. Army Garrison-Fort Cavazos Garrison Commander Col. Lakicia Stokes speaks about the legacy of service and sacrifice of Capt. Robert \u201cBob\u201d Manning Gray April 17 during the Bob Gray Day ceremony at the Greater Killeen Regional Airport in Killeen, Texas.
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\u201cToday we honor a true hero, an American hero, Captain Robert Bob Manning Gray, a son of Killeen whose courage, character and sacrifice continue to inspire generations,\u201d Nash-King said.<\/p>\n

She described Gray as an aviator \u201cwho embodied the spirit of service from a young age, though his life was cut short during World War II.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain Gray\u2019s spirit lives on \u2026 not only in the history books, but in the hearts of this community,\u201d Nash-King said. \u201cMay we always strive to live up to the example
Captain Gray left for us, the legacy of serving others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stokes also reflected on Gray\u2019s legacy of service.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis contributions to the community and our nation\u2019s military history serve as a testament to the impact of leadership, bravery and commitment to a greater purpose,\u201d Stokes said.<\/p>\n

The Fort Cavazos garrison commander also noted Gray\u2019s family members in attendance, noting their presence was a reminder his legacy lives on through the people he touched.<\/p>\n

Gray\u2019s family members attending the ceremony joined the Killeen mayor to read this year\u2019s Bob Gray Day proclamation.<\/p>\n

Regina Elson, Gray\u2019s second cousin, expressed the family\u2019s appreciation for the community\u2019s continued efforts to honor Gray.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough I never knew him, he passed away before we were all born\u2026, we all live through the memory and the storytelling that was told to us, and we want to say thank you to the city of Killeen for continuing to honor Bob,\u201d Elson said. \u201cWe figured out it was 82 years they have been doing this, and that\u2019s a testament to the city and their patriotism.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 Relatives of Robert Manning Gray, seated, from left, Regina Elson, Melody Bruning, Richard Bruning, Page Elson and Mark Manning, listen as speakers discuss Capt. Robert \u201cBob\u201d Manning Gray\u2019s achievements and legacy April 17, 2025, at the Greater Killeen Regional Airport in Killeen, Texas. Gray was a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423628,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-423626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=423626"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423626\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":423633,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423626\/revisions\/423633"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/423628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=423626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=423626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=423626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}