Tommy Gray was stationed in Nome, Alaska from 22 September 1941 until 5 April 1944 arriving back in the United States on 24 April 1944. He spent 2½ years in Alaska; and a total of 4 years 10 months and 25 days in the Army. He was in the Quartermaster Corp, which provided supplies to meet the soldiers’ basic needs, plus those of the military facility.

In 1942 one of the military buildings caught on fire. Though I was not sure if the building that caught fire was a barracks, the bakery or another building, Tommy’s brother Raymond remembered it being the bakery. Tommy went in to the building and pulled out three men who were trapped. One of the men died as a result of the burns he suffered, the other two men survived. Tommy received minor burns in the process. He was awarded the Soldiers Medal as a result of this act of bravery. The Soldier’s Medal is the highest peacetime award for valor. The medal is given for heroism, not involving actual conflict, and voluntarily risking his life to save the life of another.