Gray, Walter David
Male
Verified Maj. Walter David Gray, 38, of Conyers, Georgia, was a U.S. Air Force officer with the 13th Air Support Operations Squadron. He died on August 8, 2012, near Combat Outpost Fiaz, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Maj. Walter David Gray was a 38-year-old Air Force officer from Conyers, Georgia. He was assigned to the 13th Air Support Operations Squadron, based at Fort Carson, Colorado, a unit responsible for coordinating air support for ground forces.
On August 8, 2012, Gray was killed by enemy small-arms fire near Combat Outpost Fiaz in eastern Afghanistan's Paktia Province. According to U.S. military reports, he was engaged in a dismounted patrol when the unit came under attack.
His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2012, the conflict was in its eleventh year, with U.S. and NATO forces engaged in a counterinsurgency and advising mission following a surge of troops in 2009-2011.
The Department of Defense announced Gray's death the following day. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of major. His awards reportedly included the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.
Gray is remembered on memorial walls at Fort Carson and within the 13th ASOS. His name is inscribed on Panel 30W, Line 73 of the Afghanistan War Memorial at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia.
Explore Further
Maj. Gray was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
