When Bob was killed I was
at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro North Carolina. What
happened to him was tragic and most of us who were in the
Philippines and knew him think of him quite often during the course
of the lives that we are still lucky enough to lead.
The night Bob was killed he had been dispatched to an intruder
sighting and break-in at the Jet Test Cell which was situated on the
east side of the active flightline. There was nothing between the
jet test cell and the Mabalacat fenceline except about a mile of
scrub and elephant grass and a couple of minor washouts. To the
south, less than a mile away was one of the most treacherous
washouts on Clark; Mobecan Washout.
The following is an account
from one of the first handlers to arrive on the scene soon after the
incident.
As told to me:
Bob and I were on separate
bomb dog flights. We were detached from regular flights and worked
varied schedules, 6 days on and 3 days off. Straight shifts for a
month so we worked with all the flights and there was always at
least one bomb dog available on each shift. I missed the identity of
being with a single flight but it was an effective management
decision. That night, 6 January, 1979 or 1980 I believe (ACTUAL YEAR
WAS 1978) we had been split up on 12-hour shifts for the 374th TAW
ORI. (Combat Readiness Inspection). I hadn't seen Bob except for
shift changes for two days. I was at the armory at about 1800 hours
when we were told of the incident. I don't recall how we got out
there, but as unit 80 relief (this was the radio call sign for the
bomb dog handler) we jumped in a vehicle and responded. Right after
I got there, Bob was loaded in the back of an M151A jeep and taken
to the Clark Air Base hospital. As it turned out the medics deployed
an ambulance that was not all-terrain drive to the area near the jet
test cell and it was unable to navigate through the elephant grass
to where Bob lay. The base hospital had on hand a number of
all-terrain ambulances and it's unknown why they dispatched the
vehicle they did.
I was told that Bob had a chilling, scared and fearful look in his
eyes in the jeep. He managed one or two words to others in the jeep
and passed away. The medics said he'd lost so much blood and was
wounded so badly that even if they'd had enough blood available they
wouldn't have been able to save his life. He was stabbed in the neck
and cut into his ribs and lungs from his waist to under his armpit.
The intruders (4 of them) got his gun and shot Bob's dog, Casey
Jones. Casey underwent surgery and survived to be assigned to
another handler later. Bob hadn't waited for backup. None of us ever
did. We trusted our dogs. Casey was a great detector dog but not
much of an attack dog. As Bob chased the intruders through the grass
two of them ducked down into the high grass and waited as Bob ran
by, still in pursuit of the others. Bob released Casey and he
actually got a weak bite on the foot of one of the two intruders
still ahead of them. The two who had waited in the grass jumped Bob
from behind after he cut Casey loose. They smacked him in the head
and stabbed him. They got his gun from him and then shot Casey as
the loyal dog was returning to his stricken master. Back-up was on
the way. (Greg Davis, another bomb dog handler was the first to
arrive). The intruders fled toward Mabalacat, leaving Bob and Casey
lying on the ground. As I said, I arrived soon after, just as Bob
was being loaded into the jeep and taken away to the hospital. As
guardmount was completed all K-9 coming on and going off duty were
gathered up and taken to the scene where they assembled a cordon
around the crime scene. Although we wanted to sweep the area the
Commander decided it was wiser to wait until sunup to avoid further
casualties.
Six of us went in the next morning. I had my dog, MacBeth. Bob
Denniston, Vince Daniels, and I think Steve Key were part of the
sweep team. My memory fails me but the other two handlers were
probably Frank Beech and Cheech Sanchez. The intruders got away. (No
wonder, having all night to make their getaway). But we discovered
where they rested for a time that night in the washout. We tracked
them for a time through the toughest washout I ever traveled.
(Probably Mobecan Washout). We didn't stop until we reached the
fenceline and every possible hiding place was searched. We had their
tracks and our dogs did us proud but the intruders had too much time
on us.
Two days later we had a mass formation on the flightline to salute
Bob's casket as he prepared for his last journey. Greg Davis was the
escort NCO and they gave the American flag to Bonnie Harwood, Bob's
fiance. The two escorted the casket back to Bob's family.
(Official Air
Force Photo courtesy of Ken and Cynthia Gray)
Three of the intruders were
caught a week or two later through informants, but the guy who shot
Casey and stabbed Bob fled to Mindanao. He relied on his family, who
were big in the Dau black market and Nepo Mart downtown. He also had
friends, money and cops who were on the take to help him escape. The
guy was arrested six months later by a Philippine Constabulary
Captain who had been stationed in Angeles City at the time of the
slaying and knew who he was. He was extradited back to Angeles City
to stand trial for the murder of SrA Bob Gray.
The trial was long and drawn out. It was truly a joke. The defense
attorney actually tried to charge Bob with attempted murder and said
that his client was simply trying to defend himself. He pleaded to
trespassing and vagrancy, but was acquitted of murder or homicide.
Bob Gray made some grave mistakes and maybe used poor judgement.
But he was a good man, a young man and didn't deserve to have his
life ended under these circumstances. Bob was supposed to have
DEROS'd in November or December but extended his tour so he could
marry Bonnie Harwood.
These are the events, as
best as I can remember them. Others may give a slightly different
rendition but this is how I remember it.
We lost a comrade who had
his whole life ahead of him.
Steve Gambert
Let me tell you an odd
story that happened to me a couple of years ago.
I'm a police officer in Illinois, have been for the past 13 years.
I was sent to go to the local police memorial on Memorial Day. I
bitched and moaned as any self-respecting K-9 handler would. When I
got there I was early. I sat in the second row. No K-9 sits up
front.
Well, when the people filed in the function began, the signing,
praying, salute (21 gun), the speeches, then the dedication role
call for the dead. Some of the officers were asked to line up and
put a flower on the stone for each local officer that fell in the
line of duty. There are a lot.
Well, the military was in attendance because of Scott AFB being so
close. I was in line with a flower, not paying 100% attention to the
dedication. A name of a fallen officer would be called and you would
walk forward and place a flower on the stone.
As my turn drew closer I thought this might have been a mistake
coming, then the name for me was called.......................SENIOR
AIRMAN ROBERT GRAY, killed in the line of duty Clark Air Base,
Republic of the Philippines.
I was stunned! I was so moved at the odds of that happening.
I had been working that night at circle antenna when he was killed.
I left my post and hitched a ride from a DOD guard passing by the
Negrito gate and had him take me out there to the jet-test cell
area. I got an Article 15 for leaving a priority resource with out
being properly relieved. I stayed out in the area for 2 days
searching with Bullet my dog. No one could make me go to the
kennels. I walked the area towards Mabalacat Gate and outside the
base.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS I would be chosen to place a flower on the stone
to honor his memory. I felt a shiver go through me and I cried.
It felt like he was telling me it was okay......Close the feelings
I have carried around with me for over 20 years that if I was just
near-by when it happened I could have helped or saved him.
Anyway, that's the past for you; just when you think it's
behind/gone it has a way to creep into your life again
..................Dale R. Warke
Above is a photo of the statue at the Security Police Museum at
Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas. This statue was carved
in the Philippines and sent to the museum as a memorium to Bob Gray.
By Marc Hodgdon (Hodge)
Bob...
I knew you. We weren't great pals, but we were friendly
acquaintances. I was at Seymour Johnson the night you were killed.
When I heard of your death I felt as though I had been stabbed
myself. I'm sure we all did. Now twenty years later, I think of you
and that night quite often. I've never been able to understand why
you were the one to be killed in that elephant grass that night when
all the rest of us made a regular practice of doing the same things
you were doing all the time. Nothing ever happened to us. Any time
any of us get together you make your way into our thoughts and
conversations.We have missed you for twenty years my friend and
comrade. I guess we always will.
Rest well Bob....Hodge
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