Gordon Donald Gayle (September 13, 1917 – April 21, 2013) was an American officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general and historian. A veteran of World War II and Korea, he distinguished himself as commanding officer, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines and received Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest decoration awarded for valor in combat. He later served as chairman, Long Range Study Panel which was tasked with the developing of concepts for the Marine Corps operational, organizational, logistical and Research and Development needs for the 1985 period. The study was a catalyst in forming a coherent Marine Corps vision of its future. Early career Gordon D. Gayle was born on September 13, 1917, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the son of businessman with the oil-field equipment, Maurice Rowe Gayle and his wife Frances Madge. He completed the grammar school in Shreveport, Louisiana, in summer 1930 and subsequently graduated from the Sunset High School in Dallas, Texas in June 1934. Gayle then enrolled the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, but left after one year, when received appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. During his time at the academy, Gayle was active in Reception Committee, Quarterdeck Society, Radio Club or Boat Club and graduated on June 1, 1939, on the outset of the world war II. Following his graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and ordered to the Basic School at Philadelphia Navy Yard for basic officer training, which he completed in April 1940. Gayle was then ordered to Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, where he served in several company and battalion-level positions including company commander in the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines under Lieutenant Colonel George R. Rowan. He deployed with his unit to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba and took part in a series of training and landing exercises there and at Vieques, Puerto Rico in early 1941. He returned to the mainland with the 5th Marines Regiment, which had been part of the 1st Marine Brigade but during this period became an element of the newly formed 1st Marine Division. The division began training in New River (later named Camp Lejeune), North Carolina in September 1941 and was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant in November 1941, several weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. World War II Following the United States entry into