The Murder of SRA Robert Gray
Written by Dale Warke as remembered on 6th of January 1978 Clark AB, RPI
The following is a special story. The events of 6 January 1978, the night Bob Gray was killed. Dale Warke was one of the handlers on duty that night at Circle Antenna and this story includes some of the events that took place during and after the tragedy at Jet Test Cell.This is a story that is not easy to tell even after all these years. The day started out as any other day in January of 1978. We conducted training at the kennels, broke for chow and re-formed at the kennels prior to posting. I was upset with my post circle antenna because NOTHING ever happened there and they had their own security posts. The only reason a handler was needed was because it was a priority (A) resource.
As I walked to post with Bullet my assigned MWD, I had no idea that the events about to unfold would NEVER leave my mind.....
During the shift I met with the security posts and walked to Negrito gate, talking to the L.E. guard posted there. We ate barbecued chicken cooked by the Negritos and drank a coke together. As the shift drew to a close I wandered around the Antenna from bunker to bunker one last time.
Then all HELL broke loose. I'll never forget the faint voice come across the radio asking for help. Shotgun began to feverishly dispatch units to the flight line area of jet test cell. The story was being pieced together bit by bit. A handler jumped a bunch of intruders coming from the runway caring MD unit cables that they just had stolen. The intruders headed to the tall grass near jet test cell.
The handler, Bob Gray and his assigned MWD Casey Jones followed the intruders, dismounting his jeep at the test cell pad. He called in he had released his dog and followed as any good K-9 handler would into the elephant grass. The intruders this time were hard-core thieves. They were part of a organized gang with one SHIT-HEAD, Pepe Garcia as their leader. As what was pieced together by a number of so-called experts and by the first responding unit to help, SSgt Greg Davis our Flight Chief at the time, it was figured out that the intruders dropped the cable and property and fled in single file on a path. Since the foliage was so thick you had to stay on this path until you came to the wash-out. As Casey attacked one intruder, Garcia circled around and ambushed Bob from behind. Garcia grabbed Bob from behind by the neck and stabbed him through the, ribs in an upward motion piercing his liver, kidneys and into his heart.
Casey, sensing his master was in peril turned to attack the threat. Garcia took Bob's .38 and shot Casey as he returned. At least 2 shots; some say 3 shots were heard. One bullet struck the dog in the neck and traveled across his back into the rib area. Casey still attacked and bit Garcia in the leg. The dog then turned him loose and, went to be by the side of his handler. The blood trails I saw were 25 yards long, made by Bob as he dragged himself to the jeep. He fired a slap flare and he was able to relay not only his position but that he needed help. I was chilled as this voice came over the radio to my position at circle antenna. It didn't sound good. I observed a Deuce and a half coming from Negrito gate and I rushed to the road to stop it. I figured that my shift was almost over and the relief would be walking out. I told the driver to" take me to Jet-test cell NOW".
When I arrived Bob was already on his way to the hospital where he died in the arms of Greg Davis his long-time friend and K-9 brother.
Greg was furious due to the fact that it took so long for the ambulance to respond and that 2 of them got stuck responding to the area. The ER doctor told Greg that with the way the blade went in and the damage done to Bob, they couldn't and wouldn't have been able to help him if it happened in the ER room. The blade was a file which was heated and beaten into a 14 inch blade. Only 3 inches were sticking out between Bobs ribs. The ER room personnel were unable to remove the blade. The doctor said it was amazing that Bob was able to crawl the 25 yards and even talk on the radio. Greg told me that when he arrived and saw Bob he was very pale and could barely whisper. Bob knew he wouldn't make it and kept asking if Casey was all right. The dog was standing beside Bob protecting him. He didn't and wasn't going to leave his dog. The dog wasn't going to leave his fallen master.
The dog went to the ER room also where the bullet was removed and taken by OSI agents for evidence. They said Greg held Bob's hand from then till he passed on. As I arrived at Jet test-cell it was a bee-hive of activity but no one seemed to be taking charge. SP's were arguing over what to do. Some wanted to burn the area others wanted to surround it. A Base recall was now in affect. Security Police were massing at Resources and at CSC to respond in force. I looked over the area and began to track the same area Bob and Casey had, hoping to be able to enact revenge. My GAU was locked and loaded and k-9 Bullet was charged. I traveled the area to the washout and looked the place over. Bullet lost the track a way back and I couldn't see any signs that the group had passed through here.
I doubled back and came out to the open area. I met up with some Philippine Rangers who were brought in to assist by Maj. Hetzel our squadron commander. A D.O.D. guard talked to one of the rangers and told him to go with me. We walked in Bob's foot steps and tried to find fresh signs. The ranger pointed out 4 different areas of blood. The blood was everywhere, over leaves, grass, and the jeep. He figured it was a combination of 2 intruders, the first one Casey bit and Garcia's blood, Casey's and Bob's.
It was beginning to lighten up as Col. Joe Daigle came over the radio and asked someone to give him an on-scene update. After a brief explanation, he asked if we had any fresh leads. He then ordered the area burned, calling out the heavy weapons flame throwers and an order to all posts and patrols to "set the area ablaze". Helicopters from the Para Rescue unit were sweeping the area with T.N.T. sniper/observers on board. It was an impressive site to see all the squadrons...3rdSPS, 3rdLES and all of Resources protection working with one goal in mind...to catch the bastards....
After a number of sweeps, the chance of catching anyone dwindled until one hope occurred, one of the only other K-9s alerted in the high grasses near us. Myself, Bullet and the Ranger ran to the area. Upon arrival the handler said that his dog alerted in a clump of banana trees about 30 yards away. the Ranger yelled to the trees and a voice answered in Tagalog. The Ranger said in broken English that this could be one of the gang. He pointed to his M-16 and moved his hand across his neck. I didn't need to speak Tagalog to understand what he meant. He handed me a magazine and said if you shoot him use these bullets. I looked at the tips and recognized the tracer markings. I had already made my mind up that if I saw or was able to get with-in effective range, I was going to kill those bastards.
The other handler and I circled the trees and set up. He called in our status and assistance began to arrive. Some stupid Security Captain ordered us not to move in on the banana tree area until more reinforcements arrived. We argued with him, explaining too many more people will only screw things up. He yelled "That's a direct order Airman!"
The Ranger had been talking to this intruder in the trees and said the scum bag agreed to shoot 2 rounds in the air as a sign of good faith and was scared we would shoot him even if he was unarmed. I remember looking at the ranger eye to eye and no words were exchanged but we both knew one of us was going to kill someone shortly. The Captain said no way he would allow the intruder to shoot 2 rounds in the air. But the Ranger and the other handler knew that if he shot 2 rounds in the air and its from Bob's .38, then there is at most 1 round left and we would rush the tree grove and shoot whoever was in site. The most he could do was return fire with one round, we liked those odds.
But as fate would have it we were over-ruled by the Security Captain and as the helicopter and the Security, L.E. and Resources troops massed at our position, our hopes of killing the bastard went out the window. There were 30 to 40 troops in a circle with everything from handguns to M-60's. If a shot was fired it would trigger a serious cross-fire. The other handler gave me his leash and said hold my dog while I sneak a peek in the banana trees. He had a little more time in the P.I. than me so I listened to him. As he crawled away I thought I hope he gets a piece of the intruder. It was now full day/ high noon and hot. The jungle all around us was in flames as per Col Daigle's orders. The air traffic was diverted else-where due to the heavy smoke floating across the runway. It burned like that for the next 3 days and nights.
The handler reappeared and said he couldn't see anything but could hear water running. We were close to the washout and escape, was all the more possible now. All the time wasted waiting was more time for whoever was in the banana trees to get away.
We decided to charge the area and take our punishment from the Captain later. We maneuvered on the trees, leap frogging each others position. We covered the 30 yards in no-time and rushed the heavy growth. The handler on one side, me covering him a couple yards back. He stood up and said "No-ones here, he's gone".
I never felt so Angry when I saw that the trees were next to a stream that led to the wash-out and it ran to Mabalacat Village, off base a mere 250 yards away. Major Hetzel arrived and chewed the Security Captain a new asshole on the spot and in front of all of us. He told the Captain to leave the area. The helicopter swept the area so low that the belly of the jolly green giant touched the grass. Our dogs were showing the first signs of over-heating and we held up. We received some ice from a horse patrol unit. The other handler's dog was bad off and he had to take him back to the kennels. I was also told many times to go to the kennels, but I refused. If there was the least shred of a chance I could catch the bastards I wasn't about to leave. Myself and the Philippine Ranger swept the washout to the fence line of Mabalacat and met up with the other Rangers at the gate. They were going off base to "gather information", and asked if I would go. I told the L.E. gate guard, "If anyone asks you didn't see me" and off I went with Bullet into Mabalacat with the Rangers and a couple of P.C. investigators.
Off base we ran into OSI, SPI and Snake team units all doing the same thing, kicking in doors and running down any leads possible. The area was saturated with our people. Pepe Garcia's gang had deep roots within this community and they all went into hiding, with the help of his network of compare’s. It was getting dark when we returned to the gate and one of the Rangers said that the gang was heard to be trying to gather money to leave the area. He believed that some of his fellow thieves would try to steal on base and give the proceeds to Garcia for traveling money. How true it was I didn't care. I was going to set up in the wash-out area down from the gate and job anyone coming in.
I traded batteries with the gate guard DOD and he gave me his slap flare. All night I waited but to no avail. No one came through that night. They would have been crazy to anyway. There were more Security Police on duty for the next few days that were all looking for pay-back. Any one caught by K-9 units would have been dead-meat.
After 2 days I reluctantly returned to the kennels. I put Bullet into his kennel for his much needed rest and told Andy, the kennel attendant to feed him in the morning. As I walked to the armory I was confronted by the Resources Shift Commander who stated because I left my post and no-one officially knew where I went to, I was going to get an Article-15.
I just stared, then walked away. I saw handlers at the canteen drinking beer so I joined them. It was then, that I had the time to reflect on what occurred. One of our comrades had fallen in the line of duty, doing his job as well as anyone else. He paid the ultimate sacrifice as a Military Working Dog Handler. His assigned canine Casey Jones survived the ordeal but never seemed to be the same again as was with the handlers assigned to our unit at that time. We all were scarred for life. Many handlers were openly sobbing.
FOOT NOTE:
One by one the Garcia gang were caught and killed. Bob's .38 was used in a couple of robberies in southern Luzon and eventually Garcia himself was caught. The trial was a typical of Philippine justice. Greg Davis was brought in from the U.S. and sat throughout the trial.
Pepe Garcia pled to trespassing on a Military installation and his lawyers attempted to sue the U.S. Government because their client’s story was, he got lost on base, lost his bearings while fishing with some friends.
I was told, Garcia died in a gun battle with the PC...
Bob Gray was a good person and a K-9 comrade that will always be remembered by me, driving his M-151a with Casey Jones in the back always checking with the K-9 posts, making sure they were okay during their shifts, responding to back you up in a moments notice...all...ways...there...for...his...fellow...handlers....
Written by Dale Warke as remembered on 6th of January 1978 Clark AB, RPI
As I walked to post with Bullet my assigned MWD, I had no idea that the events about to unfold would NEVER leave my mind.....
During the shift I met with the security posts and walked to Negrito gate, talking to the L.E. guard posted there. We ate barbecued chicken cooked by the Negritos and drank a coke together. As the shift drew to a close I wandered around the Antenna from bunker to bunker one last time.
Then all HELL broke loose. I'll never forget the faint voice come across the radio asking for help. Shotgun began to feverishly dispatch units to the flight line area of jet test cell. The story was being pieced together bit by bit. A handler jumped a bunch of intruders coming from the runway caring MD unit cables that they just had stolen. The intruders headed to the tall grass near jet test cell.
The handler, Bob Gray and his assigned MWD Casey Jones followed the intruders, dismounting his jeep at the test cell pad. He called in he had released his dog and followed as any good K-9 handler would into the elephant grass. The intruders this time were hard-core thieves. They were part of a organized gang with one SHIT-HEAD, Pepe Garcia as their leader. As what was pieced together by a number of so-called experts and by the first responding unit to help, SSgt Greg Davis our Flight Chief at the time, it was figured out that the intruders dropped the cable and property and fled in single file on a path. Since the foliage was so thick you had to stay on this path until you came to the wash-out. As Casey attacked one intruder, Garcia circled around and ambushed Bob from behind. Garcia grabbed Bob from behind by the neck and stabbed him through the, ribs in an upward motion piercing his liver, kidneys and into his heart.
Casey, sensing his master was in peril turned to attack the threat. Garcia took Bob's .38 and shot Casey as he returned. At least 2 shots; some say 3 shots were heard. One bullet struck the dog in the neck and traveled across his back into the rib area. Casey still attacked and bit Garcia in the leg. The dog then turned him loose and, went to be by the side of his handler. The blood trails I saw were 25 yards long, made by Bob as he dragged himself to the jeep. He fired a slap flare and he was able to relay not only his position but that he needed help. I was chilled as this voice came over the radio to my position at circle antenna. It didn't sound good. I observed a Deuce and a half coming from Negrito gate and I rushed to the road to stop it. I figured that my shift was almost over and the relief would be walking out. I told the driver to" take me to Jet-test cell NOW".
When I arrived Bob was already on his way to the hospital where he died in the arms of Greg Davis his long-time friend and K-9 brother.
Greg was furious due to the fact that it took so long for the ambulance to respond and that 2 of them got stuck responding to the area. The ER doctor told Greg that with the way the blade went in and the damage done to Bob, they couldn't and wouldn't have been able to help him if it happened in the ER room. The blade was a file which was heated and beaten into a 14 inch blade. Only 3 inches were sticking out between Bobs ribs. The ER room personnel were unable to remove the blade. The doctor said it was amazing that Bob was able to crawl the 25 yards and even talk on the radio. Greg told me that when he arrived and saw Bob he was very pale and could barely whisper. Bob knew he wouldn't make it and kept asking if Casey was all right. The dog was standing beside Bob protecting him. He didn't and wasn't going to leave his dog. The dog wasn't going to leave his fallen master.
The dog went to the ER room also where the bullet was removed and taken by OSI agents for evidence. They said Greg held Bob's hand from then till he passed on. As I arrived at Jet test-cell it was a bee-hive of activity but no one seemed to be taking charge. SP's were arguing over what to do. Some wanted to burn the area others wanted to surround it. A Base recall was now in affect. Security Police were massing at Resources and at CSC to respond in force. I looked over the area and began to track the same area Bob and Casey had, hoping to be able to enact revenge. My GAU was locked and loaded and k-9 Bullet was charged. I traveled the area to the washout and looked the place over. Bullet lost the track a way back and I couldn't see any signs that the group had passed through here.
I doubled back and came out to the open area. I met up with some Philippine Rangers who were brought in to assist by Maj. Hetzel our squadron commander. A D.O.D. guard talked to one of the rangers and told him to go with me. We walked in Bob's foot steps and tried to find fresh signs. The ranger pointed out 4 different areas of blood. The blood was everywhere, over leaves, grass, and the jeep. He figured it was a combination of 2 intruders, the first one Casey bit and Garcia's blood, Casey's and Bob's.
It was beginning to lighten up as Col. Joe Daigle came over the radio and asked someone to give him an on-scene update. After a brief explanation, he asked if we had any fresh leads. He then ordered the area burned, calling out the heavy weapons flame throwers and an order to all posts and patrols to "set the area ablaze". Helicopters from the Para Rescue unit were sweeping the area with T.N.T. sniper/observers on board. It was an impressive site to see all the squadrons...3rdSPS, 3rdLES and all of Resources protection working with one goal in mind...to catch the bastards....
After a number of sweeps, the chance of catching anyone dwindled until one hope occurred, one of the only other K-9s alerted in the high grasses near us. Myself, Bullet and the Ranger ran to the area. Upon arrival the handler said that his dog alerted in a clump of banana trees about 30 yards away. the Ranger yelled to the trees and a voice answered in Tagalog. The Ranger said in broken English that this could be one of the gang. He pointed to his M-16 and moved his hand across his neck. I didn't need to speak Tagalog to understand what he meant. He handed me a magazine and said if you shoot him use these bullets. I looked at the tips and recognized the tracer markings. I had already made my mind up that if I saw or was able to get with-in effective range, I was going to kill those bastards.
The other handler and I circled the trees and set up. He called in our status and assistance began to arrive. Some stupid Security Captain ordered us not to move in on the banana tree area until more reinforcements arrived. We argued with him, explaining too many more people will only screw things up. He yelled "That's a direct order Airman!"
The Ranger had been talking to this intruder in the trees and said the scum bag agreed to shoot 2 rounds in the air as a sign of good faith and was scared we would shoot him even if he was unarmed. I remember looking at the ranger eye to eye and no words were exchanged but we both knew one of us was going to kill someone shortly. The Captain said no way he would allow the intruder to shoot 2 rounds in the air. But the Ranger and the other handler knew that if he shot 2 rounds in the air and its from Bob's .38, then there is at most 1 round left and we would rush the tree grove and shoot whoever was in site. The most he could do was return fire with one round, we liked those odds.
But as fate would have it we were over-ruled by the Security Captain and as the helicopter and the Security, L.E. and Resources troops massed at our position, our hopes of killing the bastard went out the window. There were 30 to 40 troops in a circle with everything from handguns to M-60's. If a shot was fired it would trigger a serious cross-fire. The other handler gave me his leash and said hold my dog while I sneak a peek in the banana trees. He had a little more time in the P.I. than me so I listened to him. As he crawled away I thought I hope he gets a piece of the intruder. It was now full day/ high noon and hot. The jungle all around us was in flames as per Col Daigle's orders. The air traffic was diverted else-where due to the heavy smoke floating across the runway. It burned like that for the next 3 days and nights.
The handler reappeared and said he couldn't see anything but could hear water running. We were close to the washout and escape, was all the more possible now. All the time wasted waiting was more time for whoever was in the banana trees to get away.
We decided to charge the area and take our punishment from the Captain later. We maneuvered on the trees, leap frogging each others position. We covered the 30 yards in no-time and rushed the heavy growth. The handler on one side, me covering him a couple yards back. He stood up and said "No-ones here, he's gone".
I never felt so Angry when I saw that the trees were next to a stream that led to the wash-out and it ran to Mabalacat Village, off base a mere 250 yards away. Major Hetzel arrived and chewed the Security Captain a new asshole on the spot and in front of all of us. He told the Captain to leave the area. The helicopter swept the area so low that the belly of the jolly green giant touched the grass. Our dogs were showing the first signs of over-heating and we held up. We received some ice from a horse patrol unit. The other handler's dog was bad off and he had to take him back to the kennels. I was also told many times to go to the kennels, but I refused. If there was the least shred of a chance I could catch the bastards I wasn't about to leave. Myself and the Philippine Ranger swept the washout to the fence line of Mabalacat and met up with the other Rangers at the gate. They were going off base to "gather information", and asked if I would go. I told the L.E. gate guard, "If anyone asks you didn't see me" and off I went with Bullet into Mabalacat with the Rangers and a couple of P.C. investigators.
Off base we ran into OSI, SPI and Snake team units all doing the same thing, kicking in doors and running down any leads possible. The area was saturated with our people. Pepe Garcia's gang had deep roots within this community and they all went into hiding, with the help of his network of compare’s. It was getting dark when we returned to the gate and one of the Rangers said that the gang was heard to be trying to gather money to leave the area. He believed that some of his fellow thieves would try to steal on base and give the proceeds to Garcia for traveling money. How true it was I didn't care. I was going to set up in the wash-out area down from the gate and job anyone coming in.
I traded batteries with the gate guard DOD and he gave me his slap flare. All night I waited but to no avail. No one came through that night. They would have been crazy to anyway. There were more Security Police on duty for the next few days that were all looking for pay-back. Any one caught by K-9 units would have been dead-meat.
After 2 days I reluctantly returned to the kennels. I put Bullet into his kennel for his much needed rest and told Andy, the kennel attendant to feed him in the morning. As I walked to the armory I was confronted by the Resources Shift Commander who stated because I left my post and no-one officially knew where I went to, I was going to get an Article-15.
I just stared, then walked away. I saw handlers at the canteen drinking beer so I joined them. It was then, that I had the time to reflect on what occurred. One of our comrades had fallen in the line of duty, doing his job as well as anyone else. He paid the ultimate sacrifice as a Military Working Dog Handler. His assigned canine Casey Jones survived the ordeal but never seemed to be the same again as was with the handlers assigned to our unit at that time. We all were scarred for life. Many handlers were openly sobbing.
FOOT NOTE:
One by one the Garcia gang were caught and killed. Bob's .38 was used in a couple of robberies in southern Luzon and eventually Garcia himself was caught. The trial was a typical of Philippine justice. Greg Davis was brought in from the U.S. and sat throughout the trial.
Pepe Garcia pled to trespassing on a Military installation and his lawyers attempted to sue the U.S. Government because their client’s story was, he got lost on base, lost his bearings while fishing with some friends.
I was told, Garcia died in a gun battle with the PC...
Bob Gray was a good person and a K-9 comrade that will always be remembered by me, driving his M-151a with Casey Jones in the back always checking with the K-9 posts, making sure they were okay during their shifts, responding to back you up in a moments notice...all...ways...there...for...his...fellow...handlers....
Written by Dale Warke as remembered on 6th of January 1978 Clark AB, RPI
